Vendetta
by shynewone
Summary: Edward left Bella in the woods, and Jacob was there to pick up the pieces. But not for long. As Bella's life falls apart, Izzy's comes together. But now, there is a war brewing on the horizon, and the vampires and wolves alike, will need her help.
1. Forks

Disclaimer: I do not own Twlight, or any of its characters. Those are all Stephanie's =]

**A/N : I'm going to ask you to forget everything after Edward left Bella in the woods. This is New Moon, and I guess Eclipse, MY way. I've chosen my words very carefully; there is a meaning behind every name. I've also done some online research to back what I've written so far. You'll understand more as the story progresses. This chapter is very short, but the rest are much longer. Review if you like, though you don't have to if you don't want. This is just something that has been on my brain since I've finished reading the series, that I NEED to get out of my head and onto paper. I really hope you enjoy it =]**

**Chapter One**

**Forks**

The black Hummer slowed as the road began to wind and bend with the woods. Lucio smiled to himself. It had been a long time since he'd been away from a big city, he had almost forgotten what small towns, and more specifically, their roads, were like. He realized that he enjoyed the peace and quiet that surrounded him. It wasn't long before he pulled up to a house that seemed to be made almost entirely out of glass. Lucio stepped out of the car, and paused to take in the fresh air. The rain had finally stopped, leaving behind a freshness that he loved so much. The smell of it, yes he believed there was a smell to the rain, always made him feel, _new_.

"So, " he said out-loud to himself, "this must be the infamous Cullen house." He chuckled.

Izzy wasn't lying when she said it was a beautiful house, though she didn't speak much of the vampires who used to inhabit it. He tried to view the house objectively, to take in its architecture, and almost perfect location. But his mind was filled with Izzy's face, and the pain that remembering this town, this place, this family, always brought her.

"Well, this will be as good a place as any to hide the car for now," he said as he scanned the area. This was far enough away from town, and close enough for him to pursue his objective.

Now the real work began. After pulling the car into the garage, Lucio stepped back outside and contemplated his options. He leaned his back against a nearby tree and stared up to the sky. He inhaled deeply. He could contact the Cullens now, and deal with Sam Uley's pack later, or he could do just the opposite. He grumbled to himself, realizing that explaining to either party what was going on was not going to be easy.

He resigned to contact the pack first, reasoning that he at least knew where the Quileutes lived as of right now.

"To La Push I go," he spoke happily to himself. He chuckled again, realizing he was talking to himself, something Izzy always made fun of him for.


	2. Meeting Lucio

Disclaimer: I do not own Twlight, or any of its characters. Those are all Stephanie's =]

**Chapter 2**

**Meeting Lucio**

Jacob Black was standing outside his house with Embry, Quil, and of course, Taini. It had been almost a year since Jacob had imprinted on Taini, the beautiful dark-skinned girl with flowing black hair and piercing green eyes. She had moved to La Push to get away from the heat of the south, and she rather enjoyed the cold weather here. It had been hard at first, for Jacob, to fully give in to the imprint. He wanted so badly to be with Bella, but this girl, this _mysterious _girl, drew him in, and mesmerized him completely. He did not hesitate now when he told her he loved, nor did he flinch when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him ever so gently. It was so easy to get lost in her eyes, to forget all the bad in the world. _To forget what had happened. _

The four of them were laughing about something Quil had said, when Taini interrupted.

"Jake, hun, were you expecting a visitor today?" she asked curiously as she tangled her fingers with his. Jacob looked at her a bit confused at first, and then responded with "No, I don't think so babe. Why?"

She stared at him for a bit, realizing he hadn't quite noticed what was going on. "Well," she began, "that man down there has been staring at you for quite some time. I think he knows you." Jake tore his eyes away from Taini and scanned the surrounding area, until his eyes met with an unfamiliar face. The man was rather tall, and had dark, olive skin. His short black hair was swept to the left side of his face, revealing beautiful gray eyes. His arms look large and sculpted beneath his rather tight black t-shirt, and his hands rested in his front jean pockets.

Jacob had never seen this man before, nor did he know why he was here, staring at them the way he was. And yet, there was a carelessness about him, that made this stranger seem, _safe_. Taini backed away from Jacob and eyed the man approaching them curiously. However comfortable Jake may have felt about this newcomer, there was something about him that just didn't seem right to her.

"You must be Jacob Black," the man spoke, as he got closer. A smile broke across his young face, and Taini noticed that his gray eyes lit up at that moment.

"I am," Jacob began. "Who's asking?" His left eyebrow rose as he spoke, and his voice came off a bit more defensive than he meant it to.

"I'm sorry, pardon my rudeness, my name is Lucio. I'm a friend of a, well, an old acquaintance of yours. And I'm here on a rather urgent matter" the stranger began. Embry noticed Lucio's accent and was the first to question him.

"What urgent matter does a New Yorker have in a town like Forks? Isn't that a kind of long trip?" Embry asked. There was an edge to his voice. He clearly disproved of Lucio's presence.

"You caught my accent," Lucio mused with a smile, "what a clever werewolf." At that, the mood changed suddenly and drastically. A rather loud growl emerged from Embry, followed by a softer, but more aggressive growl from Quil. Jacob, who hadn't said much until this point, tensed immediately. He instinctively sniffed the air around them, but was not met with the smell he was expecting. In fact, he couldn't smell anything strange about this Lucio fellow at all.

"You don't smell like a bloodsucker," Jacob began, "but that doesn't mean I can trust you. Give me one good reason I shouldn't view you as an enemy or a threat. And if I were you, I'd speak quickly. We don't have much patience." At that, Jacob's breathing quickened, and his heart began to race. Lucio noticed all of this, and chuckled to himself. Typical.

"I am not a vampire, nor am I werewolf," Lucio began to explain, "but I am someone who knows of you, and your kind. I also know of the Cullens," at this, everyone but Taini winced. _Funny, _Lucio mused to himself, _that name has the same effect on them as it does on Izzy_.

He continued, "I need to speak to Sam Uley and the rest of your pack immediately. I then need to contact the Cullens, and have them return to Forks. The lot of you will have to put aside your differences from this point forth. This matter is much larger than your pack and their family. And yet, it will affect both of your parties drastically. " Lucio paused here, realizing he was speaking rather briefly about all of this, and it was in fact a lot to take in. Especially from a stranger.

"Let me start from the beginning." Lucio continued, "I do believe you remember Victoria, the red-headed vampire that caused some _trouble_ here a year ago?" This only seemed to anger the wolves more, and Jacob spoke again.

"What do you know about that?!" he growled angrily. Clearly, this was a touchy subject with the lot of them.

"It seems," Lucio began again, his voice still calm and even, "that she has been stirring up some more trouble. Trouble much greater than you can imagine. It has put a lot of innocent people in danger, and if you don't call your pack, including Sam, out here immediately, more of them are sure to die. " Embry turned to Quil, who then turned to Jacob, who was no longer staring at the stranger. His eyes were focused on Taini. He stared right into her green eyes, hoping to be lost, hoping he could forget again. But the past was catching up to him. And he could find no comfort in her eyes.

"Fine," Jacob said through pursed lips. He led Lucio and his friends to his backyard, where he phased, quickly called upon his pack, and then phased back.

"I never get tired of watching that," Lucio said, breaking the awkward silence that had been encompassing the group. Quil and Embry shot him a dirty look, while Taini felt the corners of her lips turn upward. _I never get tired of it either_, she mused to herself.

Within minutes the pack was there, and Sam confronted Lucio right away. "What seems to be the problem here?" Sam questioned. He eyed Lucio up and down, clearly trying to figure out what exactly he was. But Lucio didn't have the time to indulge his curiosity, _yet_.

"Sam," he began, "how much do you know about Wurdalaks?"


	3. The Vision

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter Three**

**The Vision**

Alice sat with her legs crossed, atop a mountain of snow, staring out into the Alaskan wilderness. She was trying to see the difference between each tiny snowflake that fell. Though she knew it was an impossible task, she felt the need to try. She wanted to know that each snowflake had its own pattern, its own sparkle. She wanted to know that each was different. That each one had a purpose, and a place in the larger picture, but still held a hint of individuality.

It wasn't long before she began to compare the tiny snowflakes to the pale, fragile girl her family had abandoned 2 years ago. "_Bella_," Alice sighed to herself. Bella really was like a snowflake; pale, fragile, delicate, beautiful. It sadden her to think of her best friend after all this time, she tried her to best to avoid it if possible.

But it wasn't long before her mind started to replay the events that brought her family to Alaska. Bella's birthday. Jasper's relapse. Edward's decision to leave. Alice didn't want to go, but she felt a loyalty to Edward and her family that she couldn't ignore, despite her growing feelings towards Bella. He stayed with the family every now and then, but often subjected himself to living in the remote corners of the Earth. Though Esme and Alice begged him to stay, Edward felt compelled to wallow in his misery, alone. He hated putting that kind of burden on his family. They only saw him every couple of months.

Alice smiled at this thought, remembering that Edward would be arriving any day now from Brazil. He called from a pay phone 3 days earlier, which given the family something to look forward to.

Alice tried once again to see his future, just trying to see when exactly he would be arriving. But noting but smog and incoherent thoughts filled her mind. She sighed. It was what she always found, when she tried to see his future. She didn't dare try to look for Bella's. Her future had been clouded since the day they left Forks, and she had made a promise to Edward not to meddle. But today it seemed, Alice didn't have a choice...

_Bella was gone._

_Her home was no longer a home. It looked as if it hadn't been lived in in years. The furniture was ripped and torn, the kitchen look as though it hadn't been cleaned in ages. The wallpaper hung loosely from the walls, revealing the old adhesive and wood. Her room was empty. Clothes were flung about, and the bed was unmade. The TV in the living room was broken into pieces. And the floor. The floor was stained with blood._

_Bella was gone._

Alice found herself slowly coming back to reality. She didn't know what to do at first. Her vision was so strange, and unexpected. She hadn't even been looking for Bella's future. But what was weird about this vision was the feeling it left her with. _Bella is gone_. Alice wasn't sure what this meant. But she wasn't about to wait around and find out. She knew Edward would be back soon, and she decided it _her turn_ to play the loyalty card with her family.

She stood up from her place in the snow, and began her run back to the house. She was set in her plans before she even began the sprint. She would bring the family back to Forks. She would make Edward understand. She would put the pieces back together. Bella needed them. Needed her. Her thoughts ran wild again as she got closer and closer to her destination. As she approached the house, she was slightly surprised to find Edward already there, standing, waiting for her in the snow.

Before she even got the chance to speak, Edward started, "She needs us. Everyone is packing as we speak. We're going home." His eyes were cold, and filled with worry. Alice forgot how useful Edward's ability was, and how far his range could reach. She smiled, to herself, amused with that one simple word. _Home_.

***

Lucio opened his eyes and smiled to himself. He turned to Sam, and the rest of his pack , who were anxious to see what exactly had just transpired.

His gray eyes sparkled as a smile lit up his face. "They're coming," was all he said.


	4. The Return of the Cullens

**Chapter Four**

**Return of the Cullens**

"_They're coming."_

It was all Lucio had said; two very simple words. And now, it was all everyone could think about. Three days had passed since Lucio showed up in Forks, demanding to see Sam Uley. Though reluctant at first, the pack agreed to leave Sam & Lucio alone to discuss the matter privately. However, when Sam returned, his face looked very somber, like he'd been given terrible news. His eyes were filled with worry, and though he tried to keep his usual calm exterior, it was clear to the pack that something was wrong. Lucio declined Sam's offer to stay with him, stating that he had other matters to attend to, but that he would be in touch.

Now, three days later, Lucio and Sam led the pack through the woods on foot, to meet with the Cullens. Sam had forbidden the pack from phasing, so as to keep them out of his head, and away from his thoughts. Though Sam was the only one Lucio seemed to talk to, it was clear he didn't have the full story yet. The tension grew thicker as the group trudged on, irritated by the mere thought of meeting "_with those filthy bloodsuckers"._ Everyone was silent; the only sounds to be heard were their footsteps in the leaves.

Taini, who followed Jacob wherever he went, refused to be left behind. She didn't know what to make of the situation, but she knew that she'd be safe with Jacob. He was clearly upset, and she wanted so badly to hold him, and reassure him that everything would be okay. She didn't know these "Cullens", and though she didn't admit it Jacob, she was very curious to see what a vampire actually looked like in person. She'd heard Embry and Quil describe them as "disgusting" and "filthy" and "leech-like". But from what she could gather, these vampires were different. They didn't "feed" on people, and their eyes were a different color. Jacob had explained to her, a long time ago, the treaty his tribe had made with the Cullens. She tried to recall the guidelines the treaty set out, but the exact details were a little fuzzy to her. As a human, she could only guess what life was like as a werewolf, or a vampire. She'd seen what kind of toll the stress had on Jacob and his pack, but she wondered if it had the same effect on a vampire. However, she decided to not let her curiosity get the best of her, and focus on being there for Jacob, _her _Jacob. She held onto his arm tightly, and gave a tiny squeeze, reminding him that she was still there.

Jacob looked down and smiled at her. He pulled her closer to him, grateful to have her in his life, especially at times like this. He sighed, and looked up the path to where Sam and Lucio were. He suddenly became very aware of his surroundings, knowing almost immediately where they were headed. He tried to block the memory, but it was all ready too late. _This was Bella's meadow_, he whispered in his head.

Sure enough, as the group stepped into the clearing, a sense of déjà vu encompassed the wolves. This is where they had found Laurent. This is where they had saved _her._

"Well now," Lucio said, stopping and turning with yet another smile on his face, "all we have to do is wait. They should be here any minute actually, considering the speed at which a vampire can run." He was very proud of himself for orchestrating such an event, in such a short amount of time. He left his Hummer, along with a short note asking Alice to bring her family to the meadow, at the Cullen's home. Though he would have preferred to introduce himself to Cullens alone first, time was of the essence, and politeness could not be his top priority.

Just then, Sam turned to side of the woods across from where they were standing. Jacob and the others did the same. He instinctively stood in front of Taini, blocking her view of the shadows emerging from the forest. But she leaned her head around his massive body, just to catch a glimpse of these so called "leeches."

A small gasp escaped her lips, involuntarily, and she threw her hands over her mouth immediately. What had Jacob and the others been talking about? She tired to contain the words that sat at the tip of her tongue, but it was too late, the words spilled in a faint whisper.

"...They're beautiful."


	5. The Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter 5**

**The Confrontation**

_"...They're beautiful."_

Jacob winced at her comment. He couldn't stand the idea of her finding the Cullens _beautiful_. That's what Bella had thought of them. Oh God, Bella. Did the Cullen's really not know? Did they honestly have no idea?

A low growl emerged from his chest, a clear sign of frustration. He couldn't decide what made him angrier, the fact that Taini stared at the Cullens the way Bella had, that the Cullens themselves were mere inches from him, or that he had _failed her_ in so many ways. He the past couple months of pent up emotions rise in his chest, and it took all that he had not to phase on the spot.

Sam, sensing his tension, whispered quietly to him, "Calm down, Jacob. This is going to be hard on all of us." Sam's voice seemed to sooth him, for now.

Alice was the one who led her brothers out of the forest and into the clearing. Her usually carefree eyes were filled with stress and worry. She glanced over at Edward, whose eyes were staring directly at Jacob Black. She knew this was hard for him, to be here, in _"their"_ meadow.

"_Everything will be fine, I promise_." Alice thought silently, for only Edward to hear. He did not look convinced however. Behind him, Emmet & Jasper were beginning to eye-up Sam Uley and his pack, who had begun to approach from their side of the meadow.

Jasper was having a rather hard time dealing with the overflow of violent emotions everyone was feeling at that moment. Anger. Frustration. Resentment. Sorrow? Curiosity? Those last two, Jasper hadn't quite placed yet, when Lucio approached.

"You must be the Cullens," he began in his pleasant voice, "my name is Lucio. I'm the one that invited you here, and the one whose car, I'm hoping, is still in your garage." He smiled, hoping this would lighten the mood. He could see however, that this would not be the case.

It was then that Lucio noted Edward's stare. He seemed rather frustrated by something, and it was then that Lucio felt the tingle in his forehead.

"_Ah, how delightfully amusing. He's trying to read my mind."_ he mused to himself. Knowing that this failed attempt would aggravate him, a smirk broke across Lucio face as Edward approached him at vampire speed.

"How do you know who we are, and more importantly, _what _we are? And why are those dogs here? What do they have to do with this? **And where is Bella?!"**, Edward's voice roared through the forest. He was practically growling. He stood face to face with Lucio, though Lucio was clearly much taller.

"Allow me to explain," he began.

He turned to Alice and smiled, hoping this would sooth her worries. It seemed to help a bit, and as Lucio turned again to face the pack, she felt a hand close into hers. She was not surprised to find Jasper standing next to her, smiling. Clearly, he was trying to calm the situation down with his ability.

Lucio continued, "I have brought you all here on a matter of great urgency. Believe it or not, a war is brewing. Though it might not be obvious to you yet, the signs are all there. I will attempt to inform you to the best of my abilities; I will try to help you _see_. What I need you all to understand is that this war is NOT between werewolves and vampires. This war requires that the two become allies; to unite together against a much greater threat." He paused here, to take in he reactions of his audience.

The Cullens seemed more shocked than the Quileute, though not by much. The only one not shocked by this revelation, was Sam, who had clearly been informed of this already.

Lucio took a deep breath, realizing this next part would be the hardest. _Here goes nothing_, he thought to himself. He turned to Jacob Black, and motioned for him to come forward and stand next to Sam.

Jacob didn't want to leave Taini's side, but he knew that this was something he had to. He turned to her; her eyes filled with confusion, and placed a kiss of her forehead. He then joined Sam to face the Cullens, praying that Lucio would not ask him to do what he thought he would.

"Jacob, Sam," Lucio asked," could you please explain to the Cullens everything that happened with Bella while they were away." He paused here for a moment, and then added, "And I mean _everything_."

Edwards eyes were immediately on Jacob's, but before he could began to pry into his brain, Lucio stepped in front of him.

"I'd prefer we **all** hear it from Jacob and Sam," he explained. "Please, have patience, and refrain from reading his mind. You may not like what you'll find."

At this, Edward froze. Could the worst have happened? Could his beautiful Bella be...? No. It was impossible. He would simply let the dog tell his story, and pray that his instincts were wrong.

"It all started the day you left," Sam began, his voice filled with pain. But before he could continue, a hand shot up and landed palm side on his chest.

"No," Jacob whispered, "let me do this..."

**A/N: I'm sorry for the shortness of the chapters. They get longer I promise. I have something very big planned that needs its own chapter, so everything else got cut out into little shorter chapters. Also, I was a little disappointed in chapters 1 & 3, so I tweaked them, just a bit. You can go back & re-read them if you want, but it's not necessary. I just have a slight case of OCD when it comes to my writing; I'm always trying to "fix" it and make it better. Thanks again for the reviews, I really appreciate it. I really hope you're enjoying the story =]**


	6. Jacob's Story

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or it's characters

**Chapter 6**

**Jacob's Story**

_"No," Jacob whispered, "let me do this..."_

Jacob POV

My hands were sweating so much; I think I left wet marks on Sam's shirt. My body was beginning to betray my mind's determination. I was shaking all over; my heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.

_Get it together_, I told myself.

I couldn't let Sam do this. This is my fault. My responsibility. My story to tell.

I inhaled deeply, hoping it would help. But I found myself choking on the very air I breathed. My throat was so dry, it burned and cracked, as I tried to make my mouth form the words I needed to speak.

"It all started," I slowly began, "the day you all left. The day _you_," my eyes turned to meet Edwards, "left her **alone, **in the woods."

There was no stopping it now; the emotions were burning in me like fire. I couldn't stop the words now, not even if I wanted to.

"She was a mess, you know. Charlie had to call a search party because she never came home. And you know where they found her? Exactly where **you** left her, in the middle of the woods to fend for herself. She was completely soaked from the rain; God knows how long she was out here for. If it wasn't for Sam, who was the one who found her and brought her back, I don't know what might have happened to her."

I couldn't stop my body from shaking, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his _hideous_ face. He looked as though I'd punched him square in the gut. And I hadn't even gotten to the worst of it.

"After you left, she wasn't Bella anymore. She was broken. She stopped talking to all her friends, stopped going places. She only spoke if she was spoken to, and from what she told me, she didn't get much sleep. She turned into a zombie. You ruined her."

"And then one day, she showed up at my house. And things just, sort of, took off from there."

God, I remember it like it was yesterday. She looked like she hadn't smiled in months, and the bags under her eyes were so deep, I thought they'd be permanently stuck on her face.

"When she was with me, things were different though. She was smiling again, sometimes even laughing."

I remember how beautiful she looked when she smiled, and how amazing it felt to know I was the reason behind the smile.

"When I learned that I was a werewolf, I thought my friendship, my relationship with Bella was over. But she remembered the old legends I'd told her, and she'd guessed what was going on with me. And more importantly she was OKAY with it. I told her it was dangerous, and that she should stay away. But I knew she wouldn't. And surprisingly, things only got better between us."

They didn't need to know all this. No one needed to hear the tiny details of our relationship. But I couldn't stop myself. My emotions had taken over every aspect of me. My thoughts, my body, and the words I was speaking.

"I'd known from the beginning that I had feelings for Bella, but I started realizing that those feelings were stronger than I had originally thought. I wasn't quite sure if she felt the same, but at the time it didn't matter. All that mattered is that I was what she needed; I was there to pick up the pieces when no one else cared."

The memories began to hurt, and all I wanted to do was make it stop. It had been so long since I of thought of her; so long since I remembered the way her chocolate eyes stared into mine. The way her brown hair fell perfectly around her pale face. The way her smile made my heart skip a beat.

"It was almost as if we were a couple, minus the title and the, uhm, physical, aspect of it. Then, one day, we got the call about Harry Clearwater having a heart attack. She was so worried about her Dad, that she wanted to get home right away, but when we got there, he was already at the hospital. I couldn't help but try and kiss her then, and she told me she couldn't, that she was still too broken to let anyone in. You know she couldn't even say your name?!" I realized I was screaming at him, but I couldn't help it. It was just too much, I couldn't handle this.

"She couldn't even _think_ about saying your name without falling to pieces. And God forbid I say it, she nearly collapsed at the sound of it. I couldn't understand it, you had been gone **6 months**, never once calling to see if she was okay, or anything! You told her you didn't love her anymore. And yet she still _loved you_."

I wish I hadn't noticed his reaction. I wish I hadn't given him hope. I wanted him to hurt, like I was hurting. But he would be, I realized, as soon as I was done.

"I was so frustrated with her, I couldn't help but tell her. I told her that she should get over you. That you would never love her, the way I did."

I'm an idiot. A total and complete idiot. This wasn't what Lucio wanted me to explain, and this isn't what the Cullens wanted to hear. But she deserved to have her story told. Those bloodsuckers need to know what they did to her, how they destroyed her. I knew Taini was listening, hanging on my every word. I knew this would hurt her, but it had to be done. The truth needed to be heard. For Bella's sake.

"Then Renee called, she said something along the lines that she'd heard about Harry Clearwater, and that she was coming up to Forks to stay for a while, so Bella would have someone to talk to, and somewhere to go, while Charlie coped with whole situation. I was standing by her kitchen window, while she was on the phone, and I realized I'd caught the scent of a vampire. At first, I thought it was _you guys_, finally deciding to come back. But according to Sam, who had been tracking her scent for about 2 days, this vampire had bright red hair, and was feeding on humans in the area."

The little pixie-haired one, I think Bella called her Alice, whispered, "Victoria", so low it almost sounded like a hiss. Well, at least they know who she is.

"Yeah, her." I continued. "We had a feeling she'd be coming after Bella, after everything she had told me that happened with James."

I remembered the fear in her eyes, and the way she stroked her scar after we told her what was going on. How I had promised to keep her safe.

"We started shifts, to patrol Bella's house, and Renee's hotel, once she arrived, for their safety. Victoria was still killing; we would always get there too late. But she couldn't break through our border. Her scent never came close to Bella's house. About a week into the patrol, we got the word that Harry had passed away in the hospital."

I wish the words wouldn't come out anymore. I wish the story ended right here. I wish I didn't remember her voice so vividly in my head.

_"Jake, I'm so sorry about Harry. I know I've been a bit of a mess lately, but I'm here for you. Just like you've been here for me. It hurts me to see you like this; I care about you so much. I promise things will get better."_

_"Thanks Bells. I care a lot about you too__, more than you know. We'll get through this, all of this, together. I promise__"_

"Bella didn't come with me to the funeral. She stayed to clean the house, and cook dinner for the Clearwater family when they got back. But at the funeral, I met Harry's niece from another reservation, Taini, and I, well, imprinted on her."

I decided to look at the ground. I couldn't look at the Cullens anymore, and I didn't dare look back at Taini. I couldn't talk about Bella anymore, I couldn't let her bright, beautiful face fill my mind, and play with my emotions. I shut my eyes and told myself I had to finish. Just this last part.

"I don't know how much you vampires know about imprinting, but whoever we imprint on, that's our soul mate. And you can't fight it, even if you want to."

I didn't want Taini to know how hard I fought against the imprint, how much I just longed to be in Bella's arms, and forget I ever met her.

"Well, I was on patrol that night, and it was my turn to guard Bella's house. It was supposed to be easier, because Renee was over saying her goodbyes to Bella and Charlie. But on my way there, I caught a whiff of Victoria's scent."

I could feel the lump in my throat rise and fall with my breathing. I could feel the tears well up behind my eyes. I choked them back, knowing that this last part, was the most important.

"I was about to sprint to Bella's house, when I realized that the scent was right around Clearwater home. I remembered Taini was staying with the Clearwaters for a while. I couldn't stop myself, I tried to fight it. But the pull was too strong. I turned around and headed to see Taini, just to make sure she was safe. I couldn't have been more than ten minutes. But when I got there...when I got to Bella's house..."

I couldn't hold them back anymore. The tears were falling slowly down my face, as my body shook with sadness and anger. I felt Sam put his arm on my shoulder, relieving me of the burden.

"It's okay, Jake," Sam whispered in my ear, "I'll take it from here."

I was so grateful for him then. He had the strength to say what I couldn't, to explain what I so wished to forget.

"We found Charlie's body first," Sam began, his face filled with anguish, "in the living room. He was almost unrecognizable. There was blood everywhere, not everyone could bear the site of it. Those of us that could, found Renee, only a few feet away. I'd rather not describe the sight of her, it haunts me till this very day."

I could hear the pain in his voice. It hurt my very soul to hear him like that. But then I remembered my soul was already hurting, that the pain had never gone away. We had just tried to forget it.

Sam continued, "We also immediately realized we couldn't find Bella. Her scent was mingled in with all the blood, and in the kitchen, and out the back door. We followed it for as long as we could, until we found it...."

Don't say it. Please. Let it be a nightmare. I don't want to remember this, not again.

"We followed her scent," Sam struggled to finish, "into the enclosed fire that was blazing in her backyard."

**A/N: This chapter is from Jake's POV because it was so very personal to him, I felt wrong to have it told any other way. That's why there are very few details explaining the things Bella & Jake did together, and the time that had passed before Victoria arrived. It hurt for Jake to remember them, so he blocked most of them out. Depending on how you guys like this chapter, I might include some more POVs like this in future chapters. The next chapter is very long, and I'm a bit overwhelmed with school work, so I won't be updating till Monday afternoon. See you all then =]**


	7. The Truth Part One

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter 7**

**The Truth**

**Part One**

_"We followed her scent," Sam struggled to finish, "into the enclosed fire that was blazing in her backyard."_

It was almost impossible for Jasper to remain standing. The anger and rage and sorrow that poured out of everyone boiled over into him as a loud crash echoed through the meadow.

Edward and, the now phased Jacob, were clawing at each other like bloodthirsty rivals, while Emmet threw himself at the other two wolves, who Jasper assumed to be Quil and Embry. Alice had left his side, only so she could be face to face with Sam as she screamed at him. The two of them, though never laying a hand on the other, exuded almost as much anger as Edward and Jacob. It was then Jasper noticed the young human girl, curled up against a tree, clearly terrified by the whole scene. If it weren't for the overwhelming amount of emotions in his head, Jasper wouldn't have been able to resist her scent. The pure animalistic nature that was being poured into him by the others was almost more than he could bear.

Eventually, the emotions brought him to his knees. He dug his fingers into the ground, hoping, praying for it all to stop. Before he lost control again, before he did the unthinkable. And then....

"**ENOUGH**!" bellowed Lucio, his voice now suddenly tremendous and powerful. Suddenly, they were surrounded by fire, blazing in an almost perfect circle. It was enough to distract the group of tangled rivals, who were now too preoccupied with this sudden outburst by Lucio, and the random appearance of fire, to worry about each other.

The wolves had phased back, under orders from Sam, who did not seem nearly as shocked as everyone else did. He remembered what Lucio had told him, but this, this was nothing like he had expected. The fire, magically, died down and disappeared as Lucio came to stand between the two families.

"Stand with your families, _**now**_," he ordered, and to his surprise, everyone complied. He now stood between the wolves, and the vampires, and his temper, he realized, was beginning to subside.

He sighed to himself. He closed his eyes and thought of Izzy, remembering that he was doing this for her. The muscles in his shoulders relaxed, and his breathing slowed. This was what he came here for; this is what he came to fix.

"First, let me say that if either of you try _anything_ like that again, I **will** kill you. Though civility is my greatest attribute, do not mistake it for weakness, and do not consider this an empty threat. I am quite serious." It was almost impossible to hold back his smile, as he watched the Cullens stare at him like he was some kind of joke, while the wolves looked him over, clearly deciding if he was friend or foe.

_"Why must people always look at me like that?"_ he mused to himself. Now, he pondered, where exactly to start. His face was suddenly serious, and he could feel the tension rising again. He cursed himself for not really thinking this plan all the way through. "_Start with the basics,_" he told himself, and that's exactly what he did.

"Secondly, I find it rather important to tell you that Isabella Swan, or Bella, as you call her, is _not_ and has not _ever been_ dead."

He could see the relief float over the Cullens, as they learned their beloved Bella was not in fact, dead, as the Quileutes had just revealed. The same relief could be found in the faces of the Quileutes; except in that of Jacob Black.

"What are you talking about," he choked out. Jacob didn't understand. He was _there_. He saw Charlie, and Renee, and the blood. All the blood. He had smelt Bella's beautiful scent, and followed it. He could still smell in burning inside the inferno of her backyard. "You weren't there. How would you know? How dare you come around here, causing all this pain, and spreading all these lies, trying to give us false hope? Who the **hell** do you think you are?!"

Lucio faced the young boy, and could not help but feel pity for his breaking heart. It didn't matter what Izzy had said, this boy was hurting, and his eyes, they were filled with years of regret and unspoken feelings.

He repeated again, "Bella is not dead. You have my word." He turned to Taini, who everyone, aside from Jasper, and perhaps Jacob, had forgotten about by that point and motioned for her to come forward.

Taini tried to move, but her legs were arguing with her brain. It was screaming, _run, run fast_, but she couldn't. Instead, against her better judgment, she stood; steadying herself against the tree she had been leaning up against. She slowly walked forward, her whole body shaking.

"I won't hurt you," Lucio spoke ever so gently. And he meant it. He didn't want to frighten the girl, but this was a matter that did not involve her, and he had to be sure that she knew as little as possible.

Taini stood next to Lucio, but then immediately turned to face where Jacob was standing. She was so scared, and so confused, and usually in moments like these, it was Jacob who could comfort her. But in this moment, she realized his eyes were just as afraid, and just as confused as hers, and from what she'd just heard and seen, she realized that Jacob was going to be of no help today.

Jacob didn't understand what Lucio wanted with Taini, and it took every ounce of control he had not to run to her and yank her away into the safety of his arms. He didn't trust this Lucio character; he didn't even know what he was. But before he could speak Lucio's arm was on her shoulder, and she turned to face him.

"I'm going to ask you to hold very still," he spoke quietly. He didn't want to harm her, but he had a feeling that she was going to be very frightened at this next part. Lucio closed his eyes, and in that instant there was a rush of cold wind, and Taini, had vanished.

**A/N : Sorry for the delay, my internet was down yesterday. But that means there will be two updates today instead of one =] Part two of this chapter will be up shortly. Sorry for the cliff hanger endings, but I just can't seem to resist them. Thanks again for reviewing. =]**


	8. The Truth Part Two

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter 8**

**The Truth**

**Part Two**

_Lucio closed his eyes, and in that instant there was a rush of cold wind, and Taini, had vanished._

"NO!"

Jacob's roar shook the meadow, and the ears of everyone it. It was filled with rage and anguish, and he charged Lucio in wolf form with all his might. The reaction amongst the other Quileutes was the same; however they could not phase, let alone stop Jacob in time.

But before he could even lay a hand on Lucio, he was thrown back by a wall of flames and landed hard against a large oak tree. The other wolves were stopped in their tracks.

Edward, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett all looked thoroughly confused, especially Edward. He couldn't read Lucio's mind, that was irritating enough, but now, it seemed, he could make people disappear as well, and maybe even control fire? He frustrated him not knowing, and he was determined to get to the bottom of everything, especially, finding out exactly what happened to his dear Bella.

_"Dude, what IS he?"_ Emmet question Edward in his mind. But all he could do is shake his head and reply, "I have no idea."

"For now, can we try and stay on his good side, please?" Alice hissed, low enough for only a vampire to hear. She didn't know why, but she trusted this Lucio character, despite his mysterious exterior. Jasper nodded in agreement. He didn't know what to make of this stranger, but he wasn't sensing any anger or hostility from him. Just, _concern?_

"I told you," Lucio stated with a firm voice, "that it was not an empty threat. I will kill you, Jacob Black, if you do not learn to control your temper. However, I do not wish to hurt any one of you. And if you must know, I didn't harm a single hair on you _dear_ Taini's head. I simply teleported her back home, so she doesn't overhear something she doesn't need to. Really, you should have left her at home. This is no place for a regular human."

Jacob, now in human form, was rising from the place he fell at the bottom of the tree, grasping his right shoulder. He must have heard this guy wrong.

"You did _what to_ her?"

"He said, he teleported her home," Alice replied. She tilted her head to the side, and just started at Lucio with a puzzled look on her face. This was the most interesting day of her entire existence. She almost chuckled out loud to herself, realizing she almost thought the word "life". Technically, she hadn't been "living" since she was changed, not that it would have mattered, since she was only thinking to herself. _"What in the world is this guy?"_ she pondered, getting more and more curious by the minute.

"Do you mind me asking," she continued aloud, "what exactly _are_ you?"

Lucio smiled. It was about time someone asked him this question. He liked this Alice girl; he could see why she appealed to Izzy so much.

"If you can all come here and sit, in a circle around me, and remain calm, I will tell you, who and what I am, why I am here, and what happened to Isabella Swan," he explained. He then turned to Jacob, and added, "I assure you, Taini is not harmed. If you wish, you can use my cell phone to call her. I can promise you she is inside her room, safe, wondering how exactly how she got there." He took the small phone out of his pocket and tossed it onto the ground at Jacob's feet.

"I am giving you the option here, " he said while spinning, so everyone could hear him clearly, "to learn the truth about what happened here 2 years ago, and why all of that will affect you in the very near future. You can either trust me and listen to what I have to say, or you can leave, living the rest of lives never knowing, and constantly regretting walking away. The decision is yours."

Lucio didn't know what exactly was going to happen next; he knew this was going to be a difficult task, but this was already a disaster and he hadn't even gotten to the difficult part yet. _Damn you Althea_, he cursed in his head. Why couldn't she have taken this part of the mission? But before he could curse her some more, a very strange thing began to happen around him.

The Cullens had approached him and were beginning to sit in a crescent moon shape on his left side; just the Quileutes did the same on his right.

_"Wow," _he thought_, "that really worked. Time to get serious."_

"Thank you," he spoke allowed, "to begin, my name is Lucio, and no I don't have a last name. I might have, earlier on, but that was many years ago. To be truthful, I'm 90, but I tell people I'm 85, just to sound younger."

He watched as the vampires and wolves that surrounded him, stared with pure astonishment at the revelation of his age. A smile spread across his lips. Maybe, just maybe, this would be easier than he thought.

"I know that you are clearly aware that things such as vampires, and werewolves exist. But I'm going to assume that you know of nothing else. They had a name for us in Italy, which is where I was born and from where much of my kind originate. They called us "_Guerriero della Strega", _which in Italian means, " Witch Warrior". I guess that's what you could think of me as; a witch of sorts."

Edward looked as if he was about to speak, but Lucio raised his hand in protest.

"Please," he asked, "let me finish my tale, and then you may ask me as many questions as you wish."

Edward pursed his lips, clearly impatient. He wanted to know what happened to Bella, everything else could wait till later. But he did as he was asked, and Lucio continued.

"There are very, _very_ few of us. I'd say about 20 in the entire world. And for all intensive purposes, we _are_ human. I will not get into the specifics just yet; you may ask me about them later. We have a beating heart, and blood that flows through our veins; we are very much alive."

He paused here. He never really thought about how hard it would be to explain his existence to someone who had no idea what he was talking about.

"We start out as normal humans, just like everyone else in the world. However, it is our _choice_ to seek out _Gli Anziani_, or 'The Old Ones'. They are the first of our kind. If one so chooses, they can seek out The Old Ones, and asked to be blessed with their powers. But one must pay a price, and chose one of three paths set before them; they do no give out their powers freely. For the most part, we are a neutral kind, neither good nor evil. The only ones who know of our existence are either one of us, or dead. Depending on the path you chose to take from _Gli Anziani_, you are granted powers with either immediate immortality, or death after the completion of your cause. In rare cases, they will give you the option to choose at the end of your goal, though in those instances, the seeker of power almost always chooses death in the end."

_"God, this is a mouthful_," Lucio complained to himself. He looked around to see the reactions of the two families circled around him. Total silence had encompassed the meadow; they were all holding their breath, rather the Quileutes were, waiting for Lucio to continue, to reveal more of his hidden world. He knew though, this silence would not last. As soon as he was done, they would bombard him with questions, and demand answers of him. He sighed. _"I might as well keep going_."

"A person with a completely untainted and untarnished life will never know of our existence. _Gli Anziani _send messages in the form of dreams to those who they feel need it most. Those individuals can either choose to seek us out, or go about their lives as they were. If they choose to ignore the invitation, they lose all memory of the dream."

"If you have more questions as to how exactly that works, you may ask me about it later, but I feel as if I need to explain myself, and how our powers work to you now. Every Strega is granted the control over one type of element, mine happens to be fire. Its called Pyrokinesis."

_"That explains the fireworks earlier_," Emmett thought for Edward to hear.

"We are also granted two other powers; those vary on the individual. For instance, I have the ability of teleportation. I can teleport myself, and others, any where in the world, whenever I please. I also, like you Edward, have the ability to read minds, also known as Telepathy. But my powers, no offense, are much stronger. I can block others from my mind, and send images, words, and so forth to others via brainwaves." At this, Lucio turned to Alice and said, "That's how I sent you your vision; the one that brought you here."

"You _sent_ me my vision?" Alice asked him, very alarmed. She didn't like the idea of him putting visions in her head, though in this case, the vision was rather useful.

"Of course," Lucio mused with a smile, "how else would I have convinced you to bring your family back to Forks?"

Jacob didn't know what to say. He was frozen where he sat, unable to fully comprehend everything Lucio was trying to tell him. He held the tiny cell phone in his hand He was, at that moment, considering texting Taini, just to see if this guy was legit. But he seriously doubted someone could make up such an extensive lie, on the spot.

"Again, I'll answer any questions you have about my past, or my powers, after I am done. I am trying to put this as simply as possible, so as not to confuse, or upset you further. "

"I'm sure you remember Victoria, the red-headed vampire that you believed to have killed Bella Swan."

At this, a synonymous growl emerged from both sides of the circle.

"Please do not lose your tempers, again. I'd mush rather keep things calm. I'm sure Jasper would very much appreciate it if we could keep our emotions under control.

Jasper nodded, grateful for Lucio's side comment. He must have understood how overwhelming earlier was for him. It was enough for him to control his own anger at the mention of Victoria's name.

"Well, Victoria had heard the legends of Serbia, and their Wurdalaks, and she fled after James was killed to see if said legends were true. Supposedly, Wurdalaks are werewolves that have been changed into vampires, making them half werewolf, half vampire, and _extremely_ powerful. Unfortunately for us, the myths are true, and Victoria has discovered how to turn whatever werewolf she comes across into a Wurdalak. There is **a lot** of dark magic involved in this process; I'm not quite even sure how it works yet. These creatures, which cannot die by the hand of a werewolf, or a vampire, are highly dangerous, and obey only the one who created them. This makes Victoria the leader of a highly dangerous army, that is drawing closer and closer to Forks, as we speak, killing more and more innocent people on the way."

The faces of all that surrounded him were now very serious, and very worried. Sam, who Lucio had spoken to 3 days earlier, had heard of the legend of the Wurdalaks, and how dangerous they could be. But he had no idea that Victoria was going around, making an army of them.

Edward was in shock, along with the rest of his family. Though it was a relief to know that perhaps, he was _not_ the most dangerous predator in the world, he did not like the idea of these Wurdalaks, or that Victoria was leading them.

"Do you see now, why you two must become allies, and join my kind in the war against these monsters?" Lucio questioned. He could tell they were all hesitant, he decided to give them an incentive.

"These Wurdalaks, along with Victoria, " Lucio continued, "are the ones who killed Renee and Charlie, Isabella's parents. I can show you, all of you, what happened that night, and the many nights after that, but only if you feel you can handle the truth. Her story is a painful one, and it can get very gruesome at parts. If you have any objections, please let me know now, otherwise, I'm going to ask you to close your eyes, and wait for the sound of my voice."

His audience stared for a while, clearly uncertain as to what to they should do, and how they should respond to the massive amounts of information they have just received. "_Maybe this was a mistake,"_ Lucio began to ponder as he watched them sit in silence. And then...

Alice was the first to close her eyes, followed by Sam. Everyone else started catching on after that, and Lucio let out a sigh of relief. But his face was soon twisted with distress; the flashback he was about to play, was not one he particularly like watching, in fact, he tried very often to block it from his mind completely. But there was no stopping this now.

"I'm going to take you back," Lucio whispered as his eyes closed, "to the night her parents were murdered."

And with that, the flashback began.

**A/N: Do you see why I had to split this up into two parts? It would have been too long to try and fit into one chapter. I promise to cut back on the cliff hangers =] I'm SO happy with all the reviews I've been getting, I love that you guys like the story as much as I do =] There's still so much to tell, but alas, too little time to type it all. I will leave you a hint though. In the next chapter, I will explain **_**everything **_**that happened to Bella, and where she is now =] Thanks again for reading. **_**SNO**_


	9. The Flashback

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters.

**Warning: THIS CHAPTER IS VERY VIOLENT. If you are under the age of 15, skip this chapter. It is **_**very**_** graphic. **

**Chapter 9**

**The Flashback**

_Bella was staring out her kitchen window, washing the dishes. She had just finished having dinner with her mom and Charlie. It was nice, while it lasted._

_Now Bella could hear them both arguing at the top of their lungs in the living room._

_" Of course," she sighed. Those two never seemed to be able to get along. Just as Bella picked up the washcloth to dry the glass plate in her hand, she saw a flash of red hair fly past her window._

_"No. It can't be," she whispered out loud. But before she knew it, there was a knock at the door, and she could hear Charlie's footsteps as he made he way over to answer it._

_"No, Charlie! Don't!"_

_But it was too late, the door had open, and Charlie was thrown back across the house into the living room. Renee let out a heart-wrenching cry, and stood glued to floor, unable to move. Bella knew it was coming, she held her breath as she heard the soft footsteps make their way to the kitchen. And there she was, standing in the doorway..._

_Victoria._

_The plate in Bella's hand fell to floor with a loud crash, as Victoria moved at vampire speed to stand behind her. She placed her cold hand around Bella's fragile next, and pulled her close to her._

_Bella couldn't stop herself from shaking. The same thought passed through her mind, "Where is Jake? Please Jake, save me." But she wasn't left alone to her thoughts for long, as an angry hiss made its way to her ears. _

_"It's payback time, Bella dear."_

_Victoria forced Bella into the living room, while Charlie began to regain consciousness from the blow he sustained earlier. He stood, and stared at his daughter, and then to Victoria, and while still rubbing the back of his head with his right hand, he pulled his gun out with his left. He couldn't see straight, and his head was throbbing. But this women had barged into his home, and was holding his little girl by the throat. He was going to start questioning her, demanding that this redheaded witch let his daughter go. But his thought process was interrupted by Renee's voice._

_"Oh...my...God..." Renee couldn't believe what she was seeing. Coming through the doorway, were two of the scariest things she had ever seen in her entire life. They looked like giant wolves, but they stood a good 7-feet tall, and walked on their hind legs. They had 4 long fangs protruding from their mouths; two from the top, and two from the bottom. But their eyes, their eyes were what scared her the most. They were crimson red._

_"Don't move or I'll shoot!" Charlie's threat fell on deaf ears, as one of the creatures was suddenly right in front of him. The beast took the gun from his hands, bent it in half, and then tossed it away. _

_"What's going on? What ARE these things?!" Bella could hear the panic in her mother's voice, but truthfully, she had no idea what these creatures were. They certainly weren't werewolves; they looked nothing the __Quileutes. Her mind was racing, almost as fast as her heart was beating. _

_"How do you like me new friends, the __Wurdalaks?" Victoria hissed menacingly. "They're my new pets; very loyal." Her smile was evil and full of twisted thoughts. _

_"Unfortunately for you my dear, they're hungry."_

_"Please," Bella begged, "do what you want with me, just please, leave my family out of this. Kill me, I don't care, just please. Don't hurt them." She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to them because of her. She prayed for Jacob to arrive, for anyone to hear her pleas for help._

_"My child," Victoria began, "I __**am**__ going to do whatever I want with you. But first, I want you to enjoy my little show."_

_And at that, Victoria wrapped both her arms around Bella from behind, almost suffocating her. In that same instance, the two Wurdalaks grabbed Charlie and Renee and dragged them into the living room in front of Bella. They both tried to struggle against it, but there was no use. These things, whatever they were, were too strong._

_"Now," Victoria said with a smile, "who gets to go first? "_

_"Jake will stop you." Bella blurted out. She didn't know why she was so confident in Jake, but she had to believe he would rescue her._

_Victoria let out an evil laugh. "Silly Bella, I left my scent __**all over**__ his new girlfriend's place. He'll be at least another ten minutes, darling. He's forgotten all about you, for now."_

_The truth slowly sunk in. He had chosen Taini, over her. This girl, who he had only met yesterday, was more important than the girl he supposedly loved. Bella felt her heart break a little more._

_Charlie didn't know what was going on. Things like this just didn't exist. But it didn't matter. Nothing in the world matter at that moment, except keeping Bella safe._

_"Bella, run!" he ordered his daughter. "Get out of here! Go! Leave us, save yourself! Bells, please, run." Before he could continue, the Wurdalak that was holding him placed its paw over his mouth to keep him from speaking. _

_"Dad..." Bella whispered. Tears started to fill her eyes. They were all going to die. _

_"I guess that makes you first then, Daddy dearest," Victoria hissed. _

_Bella's eyes were staring straight into her father's. She'd give anything to save him. She'd take back every memory she had of vampires and werewolves, if it meant he would be safe. But all she could do is whisper, "I love you Daddy." _

_"Aw, __**how sweet**__," Victoria mocked. And then, "Do it." And with that the beast holding her father's mouth twisted his arms swiftly, and the horrific crack of Charlie's neck breaking filled the room as his body fell to the floor. _

_"NOOOOO!!!!!" Bella's cry was shrill and ear splitting. The sobs were heavy, and if Victoria wasn't holding her up, she surely would have fell to the floor. The Wurdalak then dragged Charlie's body to a corner of the room, and began, ... Oh god. Bella couldn't even begin to comprehend what was going on around her, let alone understand what exactly that __**thing**__ was doing to her Dad. _

_She closed her eyes tightly, but she knew that image would be imprinted into her mind, even in the after-life. _

_Then she felt two cold hands pry open her eyes lids as she heard Victoria whisper, "Now, now dear, that was only Act I. I can't have you missing Act II."_

_"Mom..." Bella tore her head away from Victoria's hands and stared at her beautiful mother. She was crying too. Dear God, please. Let this be a nightmare._

_Renee couldn't breath. She was sure that this was just some sick nightmare she was having. She would wake up soon, and she would call Phil and tell him all about it. _

_No, she realized. This wasn't a dream._

_"Bella baby," Renee tried to whisper through her sobs. Her body was betraying her courage. "I love you sweetie. I love you so much. Don't be afraid. Somebody will save you baby. I promise everything will be okay."_

_"I love you Mom, " was all Bella could whisper back. _

_"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep mommy dearest," Victoria snarled from behind Bella. _

_Bella struggled with all her might to break free, but it was of no use. _

_"Please, " she begged, "please don't do this." _

_She felt the cold hands wrap themselves around her face again, keeping her eyes wide open. And then ..._

_The same sickening crack was drowned out by Bella's sobs as she watched her mother's body fall to the floor. The beast dragged her to a corner of the room, as the other one had with Charlie. She felt her legs give out, but Victoria held her up still. _

_She turned her around so that Bella had to face her crimson red eyes. _

_"Now you know how I feel," Victoria hissed, her voice full of anger. "This is only the beginning Bella. You just wait to see what I have planned for you."_

_At first Bella didn't understand what Victoria was trying to do, until her shirt was already halfway off. Bella stood there in her bra, shivering, and sobbing, and Victoria beckoned one of the Wurdalak to come forward._

_"You," she ordered, "take this and some more clothes from upstairs, and start a fire in the backyard. I want the dogs to think she's dead. We can't have them following her scent."_

_Any hope of Bella being rescued was now down the drain. _

_"Jacob will never find me", she thought to herself. She bowed her head in defeat and Victoria allowed her to collapse the her knees. Her family was gone, just like that. Now, she had no one. _

_Who would come searching for a dead girl?_

_All conscious thinking was lost. All emotions now dead to her. Bella felt herself slipping down a slope, into the pit of insanity. _

_The last thing she remembered was the cold hand smacking her across the face, knocking her into the dark abyss of unconsciousness. _

**A/N: Finally, Bella's story. I tried not to include many graphic details, but this is still a very violent chapter. Keep in mind, it may seem rushed, because Victoria is very aware of Jacob's impending arrival. Next chapter will reveal more of what's happened to Bella over the past two years, and how Lucio came to know her. Thanks for reading, and thanks SO much for all the reviews yesterday. You guys are great, seriously. Until next time. **_**SNO.**_


	10. The Reaction

**Disclaimer:**__I do not own Twilight or any of its characters

**Chapter Ten**

**The Reaction**

Lucio opened his eyes, and his audience felt the whirl of his vision fade away, as they drifted back to the present.

Quil was the first to stand, or rather, move. He only made it about a foot away from the circle when he vomited. He couldn't stop his body from shaking. He knew about what had happened to Charlie & Renee, but seeing it...seeing it was MUCH different than hearing about it.

He couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his chest, and as much as wanted to stay and be strong or his comrades, he couldn't. He turned his body to face the other side of the meadow, and let out a painful howl as he phased and took off into the forest.

Embry looked almost as pale as the Cullens, if that were possible. His body was frozen in shock, and his eyes were held tightly shut, as if he were trying to block out the images they had all just seen. He heard Quill's howl, and that shook him back to reality. He was worried about his young friend, and decided to take off after him, hoping the wolf side of him could stop the sting his human heart was feeling.

Jacob felt his heart drop into his stomach, and as reality hit, so did the pain. "_Damn it!" _he thought to himself, _"I should have known it was a trick. I shouldn't have gone to see Taini. I should have looked for her. She trusted me, she believed in me. And I let her down. I let everyone down."_ His hands trembled, as he remembered the sound of her voice, _"Jake will stop you."_ Without warning, he started pounding the ground with his fists; his anger and guilt consuming ever inch of his heart, of his mind. It was then that Sam placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Jake," he soothed in his ear, "let it go." Jacob finally let the tears he was holding back stream down his face, his heavy sobs cutting through the silence of the meadow.

From the outside, Lucio couldn't tell what the Cullens were feeling, after all, they were vampires, and their expressions were very different from that of a human. He noticed that they were all stiff, well, stiffer than usual.

He chose not to explore their minds for details. He remembered seeing this vision his first time, and how her screams had haunted him for days. This was a lot to take in, especially Edward and Alice.

If Alice could cry, she would have done it a long time ago. Instead, the dry heaves over took her body, and she cursed herself, and her gift, internally. What was the point of having visions if they couldn't protect the ones she loved the most? She could have saw this coming, she could have come back and saved her best friend. She could have..."_This is not your fault Alice."_

Alice turned to face her brother, as his pained voice echoed in her mind.

If Edward's undead heart could break, it would have at that very moment. He had left to keep her safe, to keep her away from all this danger. But in the end, he had failed her. He let her fall into the hands of Victoria; let her life fall apart, all while he wallowed in his own self-pity. The monster in him roared with anger, and he felt the burning need for revenge boil inside him. His emotions toyed with him like a yo-yo; he couldn't fully understand all the emotions he was feeling. Anger, despair, rage, sorrow, guilt. Guilt. Guilt.

"I...I..." Emmet began. He couldn't quite focus, his anger clouding his mind. He tried to stay calm, for Jasper's sake. "I need to go tell Rose. Carlisle and Esme are going to want to know too." He cringed at the thought of revealing to his parents what had happened to their little Bella. He took off at vampire speed into the forest. The sounds of his fists pummeling almost every tree could be heard for miles.

Jasper was a mess; there were no other words for it. It was hard enough as it was to feel his own emotions after witnessing Lucio's vision. But the feelings of those around him were overtaking him, encompassing him entirely. Edward. Alice. Jacob. Emmet. Sam. All of their emotions were tearing at him like daggers. What hurt the most though, out of all of them, was Bella's. He couldn't quite understand why, but he felt Bella emotion during the vision. He felt her fear, her sorrow, and her agony at betrayal. But it was the end of the vision that got to him the most; in the end, when Bella should have been filled with an overwhelming amount of emotions, she didn't _feel_ anything.

Lucio wished he could let them process this grief correctly, and thoroughly, but there wasn't enough time.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly, though he knew they could hear, "but there's more."

Everyone that was left in the meadow snapped their heads toward him immediately. He could feel their minds racing, and he used his thumb and middle finger to rub his forehead.

"I know this is very upsetting, and a lot to take in," he continued, "but there is more to the story that needs to be told. Remember, I promised you that Isabella Swan was not dead."

Silence. That's all that could be heard. Lucio knew no one wanted to hear the rest, but he knew they _needed _hear it.

Sam was the first to speak. Though he too was shaken by the vision, he knew he had to be strong for Jacob. "Please," he asked, "no more visions. I don't think we could take it. Is there any way...maybe you could...would it be possible?"

Sam didn't have to finish his question. Lucio held up his hand to silence him.

"I promise, I will not show you what happens next. I will merely explain everything to you, to the best of my ability. However, I cannot promise you are going to like everything you hear. The truth must be revealed, whether it's by word of mouth, or through my visions."

He inhaled, and let out a long, deep sigh. He was slightly relieved that he did not have to show them what happened next; it was in fact, hard for him to even talk about.

"Victoria made sure to burn some of Bella's clothes in the fire, so you would fooled into thinking she burned Bella, the way the Cullens had burned James. However, Victoria took Bella back to Serbia, and kept her a prisoner there for quite some time."

"Victoria found many gruesome ways to torture her, though I will not divulge any deeper than that. The specifics are not needed, and would only serve to upset you further."

He paused here, to examine the reactions of his audience once more. He realized Edward and Alice were practically standing face-to-face with him; eager to here what came next, while Jasper, trying to control his emotions, chose to lean against a nearby tree. Sam had pulled Jacob to his feet, and he was now standing side by side with the Cullens, dying to know the truth.

"It was exactly 34 days after Bella arrived in Serbia that _Gli Anziani_ sent her the dream. They offered her a choice. They would send someone to save her, to release her from Victoria's hold. She would then have the option of journeying to Italy, to learn more about our kind, and take control of her life, or being returned home to Forks, though she would only be allowed to remember that she was someone rescued, nothing more."

"Either way, she was going to be saved, there was no questioning that. The day after she was sent the dream, the Old Ones sent me to rescue her. I arrived to find her semi-conscious in Victoria's cave. My teleportation allowed for a quick in and out; but there was no time to deal with Victoria."

He could feel the tension rising around him, as he neared the climax of his tale. He felt the need to take a step back, away from the intenseness of his audience.

"When she first regained full awareness, I thought she was immediately going to take off. She looked so frightened. But then she started remembering the dream, and things started to click, very very slowly. She had been in that cave for so long, I thought she'd lost the ability to function properly among other people. But she spoke, and she gave me her answer loud and clear..."

Edward's hands were curled into fists, as were Jacob's. Alice was now joined by Jasper, whose curiosity and concern overtook the emotions of the others, and brought him away from the tree. Sam held onto to Jake's shoulder, trying his best to keep him calm.

Lucio inhaled one more time, before revealing the true outcome of Isabella Swan.

"She chose," he spoke firmly and proud, "to become one of us."

**A/N: Now you know the truth about Bella! Unfortunately, I won't be able to let you know anymore until Wednesday. My university midterms are this Monday and Tuesday, so I really need to study. On a lighter note, thank you so much for all the reviews! I love the response I'm getting from you guys, seriously. I hope you all had a good weekend, & I'll see you Wednesday. Thanks again =] **_**SNO**_


	11. Scelte

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Scelte**_

_"She chose," he spoke firmly and proud, "to become one of us."_

The awkward silence that followed Lucio revelation made it clear that no one knew how to handle the news. Bella wasn't dead. That, they were sure, was a marvelous thing. But her choice to become like Lucio and his kind was confusing. They weren't quite sure what he _was_ exactly, or what it meant. Edward was the first to speak.

"What does this mean," he began, "in terms of Bella's life?" He tried very hard to retain his composure. He wished he could just pry the knowledge from Lucio's brain, but he knew that it wasn't possible. He understood that the only way he was going to discover Bella's whereabouts was through Lucio's story.

"Well," Lucio began. He didn't really know where to start. "How about I explain to you what being a _Guerriero della Strega_, really means?"

"I think that's a great place to start," Jacob responded. He needed something else to think about, something other than the vision he still had playing in his head. He was happy to have Sam with him, whose comforting hand never left his shoulder.

"Are we allowed to ask questions while you talk this time?" Alice chimed in. Lucio couldn't help but smile at her. Her spirit and smile reminded him a lot of Althea; maybe that's what Izzy and Althea bounded so quickly.

"You may ask as many as you like," he replied.

Alice couldn't help but smile back at him. His presence was so calming, and warm. Despite the horrifying images they had all just witnessed, the idea that Lucio was there for Bella, that he was the one to rescue her, comforted her a great deal.

Jasper could feel Alice's relief, and couldn't help but feel grateful for Lucio's calming presence as well. Indeed, it was much easier to handle the emotions around him, when Lucio's calm nature was so genuine and overwhelming. He used this brief moment of relief to send waves of calm to Edward, Jacob, and Sam. Though Jacob and Sam didn't know that it was Jasper's doing, Edward nodded at his brother, as a sign of thanks.

"To start off," Lucio began again, "I think I need to tell you a bit about my history. I was 20 years old when the Old Ones came to me. I was living in Italy during WWII. As you can imagine, it was very difficult living in a time of so much hate, and violence. I left my home in Naples to offer my assistance to the Americans, who were now entering Europe. But unbeknownst to me, I was slowly coming down with pneumonia. Before I could even reach the Italian border, I had collapsed in an abandoned shed in the forest I had been traveling through. I was sure that I was going to die. It made me angry because I knew there was so much good I could have done for the world, and I would never get a chance to do it. That's when they sent me the dream, and I gladly accepted their offer."

He paused here, and smiled. He felt forever grateful to _Gli Anziani; _they had saved his life, and given him the opportunity to make a difference in the world.

"Now, when and if you decide to become a '_Guerriero della Strega'_, the Old Ones offer you three paths, and you must decide which one to take. For example, I chose the path of the Guardian, and was granted instant immortality. I roam the Earth, offering protection to those who need it, and defending innocence against the evils of this world. I'm also granted the weapon of the Guardians, a Bo staff. Each Strega is granted a weapon to use along with their path, and is unique to the individual. Overall, it is a very gratifying experience, and have never once regretted my decision."

Edward took this pause in Lucio's speech to ask another question.

"You said that those who become like you, must give something up in return. What do you have to give up?" He couldn't keep his curiosity at bay, despite how hard he tried. He needed to know what Bella might have given up for this type of life.

"Ah," Lucio replied, "I knew this one was coming. The path you take, decides what part of you is given up. Take me, for example. I chose the path of the Guardian, because I could not bear to see the evil in the world go unpunished. So in return for my powers, I never have to _see_ the evil ever again, because I gave up my sight. I'm blind."

He couldn't help but smile at their shocked faces. Alice's mouth was wide-open, and though it was very unflattering, it was rather amusing to watch. Edward and Jasper eyed him with utter disbelief, clearly taking this rather harshly.

"But you can see us, you notice everything we do. How can you be _blind_?" Jacob questioned. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Lucio being blind. Even if he was, he would never understand giving up your sight, willingly, to protect strangers, who would probably never return the favor.

"You have so little faith in people," Lucio responded to Jacob's thoughts. Jacob growled a bit, unintentionally. He hated not being able to keep his own thoughts to himself.

"And I am indeed blind," Lucio continued. "Though unlike the other Guardians, I have it a bit easier. With my ability, I can use the minds and thoughts of others, to see things the way they do. I see through _their_ eyes, rather than my own. Whereas the rest of the Guardians rely solely on our other senses, which become extremely enhanced once the sight is taken away."

"That's why you're eyes are so grey," Alice mused.

He smiled at her once more, while nodding in agreement. "Yes, our eyes also change colors with the path we take. Our eyes remain gray, rather than opaque, to keep the enemy from learning of our weakness."

Edward was eyeing him again, and Lucio could sense the question on the tip of his tongue.

"No, Bella isn't blind," Lucio replied to the question before it could even be uttered.

Edward now knew why everyone was so irritated by his gift. The idea of not being able to express your own thoughts was rather frustrating. But he was slightly relieved to know Bella was not blind. But what was it that Lucio said about the other paths? About instant death?

"Before you let your mind wander anything further Edward, " Lucio continued to pry, "I'll explain the other two paths one may chose to take."

"The other path, which is more commonly chosen, is that of Revenge. They are granted twin swords that they use to exact their revenge quickly and mercilessly. Their powers tend to be rather extreme, and in return the part of them they give up is just as radical. To become a Revenge Strega, one must give up three of their senses; their ability to feel, to smell, and to taste. However, they must also come to terms with what they are asking the Old Ones to grant them. They seek power solely to destroy, and enact revenge. Therefore, immediately after their revenge has been completed, the Revenge Strega die, leaving no trace of their existence behind."

Before Lucio even got a chance to continue, Edward had his hand on his throat.

"How could you let this happen to her?! How could you let her chose to throw her life away, in the blink of an eye, simply to get revenge on Victoria?! How can you just sit by and let that happen, after you went through all the trouble of saving her life?!" Edward couldn't control his rage, as the monster inside him roared with pain.

Lucio remained relatively calm, considering the circumstance. He didn't want to hurt Edward, but if he didn't allow him to breath soon, he would be forced to. He mentioned this to Jasper and Alice internally, and though a bit shocked by hearing his voice in their head, they both complied, and pulled Edward away. Jasper was trying to, but not really succeeding at calming Edward down.

"I'm going to give you the same warning I gave Jacob, Edward Cullen. Do not force my hand, or you shall regret it. Your impatience is blinding your better judgment. If you had fully listening to my tale, you would have remembered that there are _three_ paths one may take. The third I have not yet explained. I will tell you this, Bella is not looking for revenge."

Lucio stared towards the sky, his calm composure slightly rattled by Edward's outburst. He understood that this was hard, but couldn't they understand that what he was doing was so much **harder**?

Jacob interrupted his thoughts again, and he had only one question on his mind.

"If Bella didn't want revenge, what did she become one of you for?" he questioned, his dark eyes filled with pain and worry.

Lucio, again, couldn't help but feel pity for the boy, despite how angry he knew Izzy was. He sighed and tried to remember exactly where he left off.

"The last path is the one least chose, simply because of what it entails, and what the person has to give up. This is the hardest path to choose, and because of this, it is the only path where the person gets to decide their fate at the end. They may chose between immortality and death. Sadly, most chose death, because they are unable to cope with the complications that come along with it."

If this was supposed to be comforting Edward, Lucio was doing a very foul job of it. He wished Lucio would talk faster, wished the words would fall like water out of his mouth, and into his consciousness.

"Bella chose this path because its what _she_ wanted. No one forced her hand in this. She knew what she would be giving up, and she knew the journey would be a difficult one. But she stuck by her decision, and I have supported her and stood by her everyday since."

He turned to look Edward directly in the eye for his final revelation. He wanted him to understand that there was a difference between revenge, and the life Bella had chosen.

"She wants _vendetta_. She's chosen the path of Vengeance."

**A/N: Just in case you were wondering, Scelte, means chosen/choices in Italian. Thanks for reading =] _SNO_**


	12. Vendetta

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or any of its characters

**Chapter Twelve**

**Vendetta**

_"She wants vendetta. She's chosen the path of Vengeance."_

Lucio made in a point to place an emphasis on the word "vengeance." Jasper and Alice loosened their hold on Edward, as they were all suddenly filled with curiosity, and Edward's rage died down.

Jacob stared at him blankly, and asked, "Isn't that the same thing as revenge?"

Lucio shook his head. "It's similar in a way; they both require a lot of anger. But revenge is much more selfish. It's like taking a life for a life, and calling it even. Those who choose the path of Revenge do not care whom they hurt in their quest, and are completely blinded by their rage. In contrast, those who want vengeance, want _justice_. They want to avenge those who have been lost, and protect others from whatever person or thing has caused them so much pain and anger."

Jacob still seemed slightly confused, and Lucio could tell by his thoughts that he wasn't really following completely. Sam however, was nodding his head in acknowledgement. Lucio appreciated his level-headedness and his calm understanding. It was the Cullens, he felt, that would want the most explanations.

"Bella wants vengeance?" Edward questioned aloud. The idea of Bella seeking retribution in any sort of violent way, puzzled him. _His_ Bella was gentle, and kind and selfless; not a violent bone in her body.

"I'm sorry," Alice finally spoke again, "but I'm just going to ask you everything I want to know, right now. I'm so used to my visions letting me know everything, I haven't really had much practice with patience. Please, I just want to know what exactly Bella is, where she, and why you need OUR help for this war against these Wurdalaks?"

Lucio couldn't help but once again smile at the pixie like girl before him. God, she was so much Althea. He knew her mind was filled with worried thoughts about Bella and her well-being. Lucio made a mental note to introduce Althea to Alice, personally. They both cared so much and so genuinely about the same person, they were sure to be good friends.

"Okay," Lucio began, "I'll try to speed my explanation up, but I need you all to keep your emotions _under control_, and do not speak until I am finished. I will not allow another emotional outburst from any of you, at least until I am finished. That is too much strain to put on Jasper, and I can't have him leaving. He needs to be here, so I can explain to him his role in all of this." Lucio held up his hands to stop the questions he could already hear brewing in their minds.

"No," he enforced, "if I am to get all of this information out in a speedy matter, you will save all your questions and theories until after I am done."

His voice had a slightly severe tone to it, and no one really wanted to protest his last statement. Now that they understood the strength of his powers, they no longer viewed his threats as empty.

"First, you can no longer call her 'Bella', or anything close to it. She chose a long time ago to change her name to Izzy; it reminded her less of her past, and she will not hesitate to correct you if you call her anything but. She will be nothing like the fragile girl you remember from so long ago. Though she still retains some of her old characteristics, she is very much a new person."

Lucio paused here to sigh, remembering how much Izzy had grown since the day they met. He continued, " Izzy chose the path of Vengeance because she was in a lot of pain; she's still in a lot of pain. The things that have happened to her will haunt her for the rest of her life; however long she chooses it to be."

He noticed the immediate stiffening of his audience as understanding set it.

"That's right," he elaborated, "once Izzy has completed her goal, she will be asked to choose between death, and immortality. Sadly, as much as I want her to become an immortal like me, many who choose her path, seek death, and not without good reason. Honestly, I don't know if I could live the type of life she lives now, for the rest of eternity."

"You see, the Vengeance Strega are the most powerful of all of us. They have increased strength and speed, and heightened senses. Their gifts also tend to be very dangerous and exceedingly powerful. But in exchange for all of this, they must give up the one thing most humans take for granted; touch."

"Izzy can never touch another human, for as long as she lives. Her skin is poisonous and, without immediate medical attention, fatal to any living thing that touches her."

He couldn't help but stop here. He knew how much Izzy suffered, day in and day out, and it pained him to think about it. He would give anything to take the pain away, but he knew that wasn't his place to do so. That was why he was here, in Forks, asking for help from vampires and werewolves.

He didn't care anymore how this affected his audience; he didn't care to look at their reactions, though he could tell by their thoughts that they were all very troubled by his news. All that mattered was getting Izzy the help she needed; the help he knew she didn't want.

"Truth be told," he added, "we do not really _need_ your help in defeating the Wurdalaks. And by we, I mean my fellow Guardian, Althea, Izzy, and myself. The three of us are a team, though we consider ourselves much closer than that. We look out for each other, and protect those who need it most. Izzy, however, is powerful enough to defeat all those dangers on her own; _if_ she can get full control over her powers. You see, our powers are directly tied to our emotions; the more we feel, the more powerful we are. But Izzy has shut herself off from her emotions; as powerful as she already is, she is restricting herself by not allowing her heart to feel the things she needs to feel. Sure, every now and then we may get her to smile, or perhaps chuckle, but she hasn't cried a single tear since the day I found her. She won't _grieve_. But she needs to, she needs to feel the loss and the sadness, or else she'll never truly be happy again."

"That's where you guys come in."

He couldn't help but stare at them now. He needed them to see the desire in his eyes to help her, to understand that he cared too much to let her damn herself to death.

"This is where her pain stems from; this is where it all started. This place; it's where her feelings of betrayal and grief and rage all emanate from. She needs to confront it head on, and learn to deal with her emotions in a normal way. That's why I need your help especially, Jasper."

Lucio turned to meet Jasper's stare. His golden eyes were filled with confusion, and Lucio could tell this wasn't something Jasper was expecting.

"I will need to you work with Bella, personally, and help her release all these pent up emotions. It will not be an easy task, I assure you, but I have the utmost faith in you."

Lucio's confidence in him shook Jasper. His mind raced, and he could feel the emotions of everyone around him, staring at him, feeling the same thing he was. _He _was the one who had tried to kill her. _He_ was the reason all of this was even happening; he's the reason they left, he's the reason Bella's parents were killed, he's the reason...

"Stop," Lucio asked him, understanding where his mind was going. "Fate had Izzy's life decided _long_ before she came to Forks. She was destined to become one of us, one way or another. And besides, should you try anything like the 'birthday incident' again, she'd probably kill you."

Lucio then turned to meet Edward's gaze. He directed the next part of his story, directly to him.

"Let me just clear something up," he continued, "Izzy _does not_ want to come here. In fact, she will not willingly put herself within a hundred miles of any of you. So do not believe for one second that she will be happy to see you."

"Althea and I are concerned for our friend, and that is why Althea is leading the Wurdalaks here, to Forks. Izzy may not _want_ to return, but she will, once she learns of Victoria's impending arrival."

He could hear their thoughts again, and he wished they could contain their emotions long enough for him to finish speaking.

"Please," he continued, "don't rush me. I'm speaking as fast as I can. No one in Forks will be in danger, we shall make sure of that. Victoria knows better than to risk exposure; she is only here to find Izzy. All of you may end up being targets on her path of destruction, but once again, she is no match for any of us. Don't get me wrong, this threat is not trivial, but it is absolutely within our power to control, and extinguish."

"I just want," Lucio whispered, "to fix her. She's so near and dear to my heart, I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. I'm sure you all understand that. You don't even have to worry about the Wurdalaks, we can handle them with or without your help. So now I'm asking you, please, as Izzy's friend, to put your differences aside, and help me bring her peace of mind."

**A/N: Finally, the **_**last **_**of these "explanation conversation" chapters as I call them. Now that the truth has been revealed, and the real plan has been laid out, the story can really pick up speed. I might actually update again tonight, just because I'm so excited to finally start writing the good stuff! I know a couple of you are waiting Bella's appearance, and she's coming **_**very**_** soon, I promise. Though I can't say exactly when.=] Thank you so much for reading & reviewing. See you soon -** _**SNO**_


	13. Althea

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Althea**

It had been 2 hours since Lucio revealed Bella's fate to the Cullens, Sam, & Jacob. Most of the questions that followed came from Edward and Jacob, but Alice interjected a few here and there. Lucio was happy to answer all of them, as long as they kept their emotions in check.

However, convincing the two parties to abolish their treaty was a rather difficult task. Sam, who had been rather cooperative up until this point, was firm in his decision of keeping the treaty in tact. Lucio and him exchanged words, and he left with a very reluctant Jacob to convene with the pack.

Lucio decided that if the Quileutes did not agree to abolish the treaty, which would allow the Cullens to cross the boundary lines into La Push, that he would simply instruct the Cullens to do so without consent. He didn't have time for their childish rivalry; La Push was the safest place to lead Victoria & the Wurdalaks; less civilians, less exposure.

Now the only ones that remained in the meadow were the Cullens and Lucio. Lucio closed his eyes as he tried to focus on Emmet's thoughts.

Emmet had left before the story had ended, and Lucio didn't want Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie to be overwhelmed with unnecessary worry or grief. Though he very much doubted Rosalie's worry; from what Izzy had told him, she was very selfish and cold.

"You should return home," Lucio said aloud, eyes still closed, "your family is worried. Emmet only had half the story to tell."

Edward had almost forgotten that Emmet had taken off to inform the rest of the family of Bella's fate. "_Izzy," _he reminded himself, _"not Bella._"

"We should get going, I don't want to worry Esme any more than she already has," he spoke softly. He found it was rather hard to speak with all the things going on in his mind.

Jasper and Alice nodded in agreement. Jasper was anxious to get home and talk to Alice about the confusing emotions he was feeling from her. However, he strongly feared that upon returning home, Esme's emotions would be too overwhelming for him to bear.

They were about to run off, when Lucio stopped them.

"Wait," he called out abruptly, opening his eyes. "Let me teleport you there. It's much faster, and besides, my car is still parked in your garage." He hoped the humor would help relax the mood, and he was happy to notice Alice's smile.

"Can you really?" she questioned. She was so curious as to what teleporting was like, that she couldn't hide her enthusiasm.

"Of course," he smiled back, "I just need you to hold onto my hand, tightly. Don't let go. The rest of you may hold onto Alice. For a human, the experience is a bit dizzying. I'm excited to see what you all think of it."

Jasper was hesitant at first, but he saw how quickly Alice reached for Lucio's hand, and how she instinctively gripped it tightly. He couldn't help but trust her instincts, as he reached for her open hand, and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Edward stood with his arms crossed, clearly not amused by Lucio's offer. He didn't understand why he couldn't just teleport himself to their house & they would meet him there?

"_Izzy happens to like teleporting very much. I think you'd enjoy it as well,"_ he heard Lucio's voice in his head. That was enough incentive for him to grab Jasper's free hand, and brace himself for whatever came next.

Lucio chuckled to himself, highly amused that they took him up on his offer.

"Lets go," he said with a smile, and with that, they were off.

It was nothing like Alice had ever felt before. Everything around her disappeared, even though her feet felt as if they were still on the ground. The wind pushed into her so hard, it hurt her eyes and she was forced to shut them. Just then, the wind got stronger, if that was possible, and she felt it push her too far to one side. It was then that she instinctively put one foot forward to keep from tripping, and realized that her foot had landed on a hard wood floor. She opened her eyes and suddenly became aware of her surroundings. They were in the living room of their home.

"Wow," she mused aloud, "that was amazing." She couldn't help but smile. She turned to face Jasper & Edward, who seemed rather frazzled by their little adventure.

"Let's not do that again darlin'," Jasper spoke softly as he removed his hand from Edward's grasp. He didn't like the weightless feeling teleportation left him with, and he could tell from Edward's emotions that he didn't like it much either.

"You're back!"

Esme's voice was high and filled with excitement, and worry all at the same time. She threw her arms around each of them, pulling them closer to her.

"Emmet told us everything," she spoke softly, her eyes sad and filled with pain.

"Actually," Lucio interrupted, "he didn't tell you _everything_."

She turned to face the stranger she found standing in her home. "_This must be the Lucio that Emmet was talking about," _she thought to herself.

"That's correct," Lucio responded to her thoughts, "my name is Lucio. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd like to catch the rest of your family up on what has transpired, would you mind calling them here please?" He smiled at her politely, and she couldn't help but automatically feel comfortable around him.

"Of course," she replied. She turned towards the stairs that led to their bedrooms and called out, "Carlisle, dear, could you come down please? Emmet & Rosalie, you two need to come down as well."

Within seconds, the rest of the Cullen coven stood before Lucio, all anxiously awaiting to hear the rest of his story.

"I don't mean to be rude," he began, "but I'd very much like to get this over with quickly, so I'm going to ask you to relax, and free your minds for just a moment."

Esme and Carlisle turned to Alice, who was standing closest to Lucio. She nodded to show that it was okay to trust him, and they turned back to him and smiled.

Suddenly, their expressions went blank, along with Rosalie's and Emmet's. Lucio's eyes were filled with some sort of foggy substance. Alice didn't understand what was going on, but Edward placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. He may not be able to read Lucio's mind, but he could read his families'.

Lucio was re-playing everything that had happened that day in the meadow, in their minds. It was like they were watching a movie, though it was sped up and filled with subliminal messaging. Edward was amazed at Lucio's ability to input these images and thoughts into other's minds, though he wondered why Lucio hadn't done this for them from the start. But then Edward remembered his words, "_Her story is a painful one, and it can get very gruesome at parts,"_ and realized that he didn't think he could bear to see the torturous details of Bella's days in captivity.

Just as he was beginning to lose himself in his thoughts, he saw his family slowly come back to reality.

"That is an astounding talent you have young man," Carlisle mused. "And I am so grateful that you saved Bella's life. She means as much to us as she does to you."

"All of us."

Lucio was surprised to learn that these words had come from Rosalie. He read her mind and realized that she was not lying. Though she did not approve of Bella, she didn't feel that anyone deserved the kind of pain she went through. She felt guilty for her cruelty, but still believed the bringing Bella into the family was a bad idea. _"I guess Izzy wasn't completely right about her,_" Lucio mused to himself.

"Is she coming here?"

It was Esme again, and she was asking about Izzy.

"Not yet," Lucio replied grimly, "but Althea should be here shortly. She was in Oregon the last time she contacted me. She's been trying to lead Victoria here by traveling through remote towns, where the populations are slim to none. If I know her like I think I do, she'll be arriving any minute now."

True to his word, about a minute later, there was a knock on the door. But before anyone had the chance to answer it, it opened, and a beautiful young woman appeared. She had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders, and flawless pale skin. Her nose was thin and narrow, and her eyes were a piercing gray. She was smiling as she entered, her feet making almost no sound at all as she walked. She was wearing pink flats, a pink and black mesh inset racer-back tank with princess trim, and faded black skinny jeans. She glided over to Lucio's side, and hugged him firmly.

"Hello Lucio," she said in her elegant voice.

"Hello Althea," he smiled back at her.

She turned to face the Cullens, and it was then that Alice noticed what Lucio had said. When Lucio looked at and spoke to them, he focused on their eyes, hiding his blindness rather well. However in Althea's case, even though she was looking at them, her eyes were focused in the distance.

"My name is Althea. Its a pleasure to meet all of you," she began. "I hope you don't mind, but I've delayed Victoria a day or two. I wanted to spend some time getting to know you all before the chaos ensues."

"I'm really curious actually, to know which one of you is Alice," she added.

Alice stepped forward cautiously and replied, "I am." Alice couldn't help but feel like she knew this Althea girl already.

Althea stepped forward to greet Alice, and automatically wrapped her arms around her in a warm embrace. "Izzy was right," she whispered softly, "you do smell like the ocean." She pulled away from Alice and smile once more. She liked this pixie girl, more than Izzy would probably want her to. "I'm like you, you know," she continued, "I have visions as well. But I can see the past, the present, and the future, on command. It's nice to finally meet someone else who shares my gift."

Alice stared at her completely perplexed. She had visions too? And they worked _on command_? She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously towards this bubbly girl. Did she realize how lucky she was?

"What are your other gifts?" Jasper interrupted. He could sense Alice's jealously, and he felt the need to draw the conversation away from her visions.

Althea turned to face him, and sniffed the hair heavily as she did. "Hm," she mused, "you smell spicy. You must be Jasper."

"Yes, m'am. It's a pleasure to meet you," he replied politely, trying to ignore her comment about his scent.

"I'm a healer," she continued, still sniffing the air slightly, "If someone is bleeding or broken, I can heal them. It's a beautiful gift; I've helped save many lives with it. Sadly, it doesn't work if the person is already dead."

She seemed a little disheartened by that last statement, but she recovered her composure quickly.

"Would you like to see my elemental gift?" she asked excitedly.

"We would love too," Carlisle replied. Althea walked over to him and smiled.

"You're Carlisle," she stated, not asked.

"How'd you know?"

"You're voice is much older than the others, and its tone implies that you are filled with much wisdom. I don't think there's anyone else here who can sound quite so fatherly," she explained.

He smiled at this young girl. He found himself thinking of Alice every time she smiled; the two were so similar.

"Would you hold out your hand for me, please?" she asked politely.

Carlisle complied, and as soon as he did, her hand was on top of his. A soft glow emanated from her palms, and when she removed her hands, a star made of solid ice was left in his hands.

"It's called Cyrokenesis," she explained, "the ability to create and manipulate ice & sometimes water."

Carlisle held out his hand to show the rest of his family the beautiful ice figurine Althea had just created.

But she had already turned her attention towards Emmet and Rosalie.

"You smell like musk," she spoke to Emmet, "but I heard you give giant bear hugs." A huge smile crept across his face, and she seemed to sense his happiness at her statement, because she moved onto Rosalie.

"You don't smell like roses," she pondered aloud, "but you do smell very sweet. I can tell you like to keep yourself distant from others. Especially from what Izzy's told me."

Rosalie went to speak and defend herself, but Althea was already off again, amusing Esme with her Cyrokenesis. She had just finished making Esme an ice bracelet, when suddenly she tensed. She turned rather abruptly and faced the final Cullen with a rather harsh stance.

"Edward Cullen," she spoke flatly, "you're scent is very distinctive. It's one I can't quite place. And as I curious as I am about you, I feel obliged to let you know I think you're a complete idiot. Despite how much I wish I could be nice to you, I am Izzy's best friend and very loyal to her. That means, I cannot in good taste, be in any way shape or form, polite to you, unless she informs me otherwise."

Edward just stared at her, his mouth slightly open. This girl really_ was_ like Alice; blunt & eccentric. But she was right. He didn't deserve her kindness, and he meant to tell her that.

However, she was focusing on the distance again, and Alice knew automatically what was going on.

"What do you see?" she asked automatically. It was strange being the one asking this question, rather than the one receiving it.

Althea turned her head slightly to the side to face Lucio. Though he already knew what had just played in her mind, she felt the need to inform the others.

"We have three days," she spoke assertively, "before Victoria and the Wurdalaks arrive."

The mood in the room was suddenly very tense. But Althea broke the silence once again, in speaking to Lucio.

"By the way," she added for him only, "Izzy is not very happy about all this."

**A/N: I promised an update tonight. =] I hope you enjoyed meeting Althea; she's quite the conversation starter. Please review & let me know what you think so far. I promise, things only get better from here =] Thanks again for reading. Until next time. Happy Easter. -**_**SNO**_


	14. Fede

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**Fede**_

_"By the way," she added for him only, "Izzy is not very happy about all this."_

Lucio gave Althea a quick nod, and strode out of the house at an alarming rate. Edward, his curiosity getting the best of him, followed him almost immediately out the door, and into their front yard.

"They're going to be a while," Althea said with a smile, "how about I get to know all of you a little more while they discuss certain things."

It was hard to say no to her. Her smile was warm and welcoming, and her presence left everyone feeling calm, despite learning of Victoria's impending arrival. She continued to entertain them with her abilities, while Lucio attended to other matters.

Lucio lifted his head towards the sky, and took a deep breath of fresh air. He loved the smell of the forest; he had forgotten how much he missed it. The city was nothing like this; it smelled of gasoline and blood. But he wasn't lost in his memories for long, as he heard Edward quickly approaching him from behind.

"I'm going to talk to her, Edward," he said as he turned to face the vampire.

Edward stiffened at the very idea. "Could you," he asked cautiously, "bring me with you?" He longed to see his beautiful Bella, even if he couldn't call her that anymore. She was no longer _his_, and she was no longer _Bella_, but he doubted she was any less beautiful.

Lucio smiled slightly, amused by how little Edward really knew.

"I'm not teleporting to her," he began, "she's not very happy with us right now, and I'd rather not push my luck with her any further."

"Instead," he continued, walking further away from the house, "I'm going to talk with her up _here_." He pointed to the side of his temple with his index finger, indicating he planned on contacting Izzy telepathically.

Edward was shocked, and felt a pang of jealously towards the man standing before him. He could communicate with Izzy on a level Edward never could; his ability never worked on her.

"I can let you listen, if you want," Lucio added, realizing Edward's thoughts.

"You can, what?" Edward questioned.

"Izzy may be unaffected by your gifts, but like I said earlier, mine are much more powerful. I can also let you read my mind, if I choose to let my shield down. If you want, I can let you hear _my _end of the conversation, however I will not let you hear her response, that's offering a bit too much. The offer is on the table, if you want it. Take it, or leave it."

Edward couldn't get over how firm Lucio was when he talked. He noticed that Althea and Lucio shared that quality, bluntness. But he couldn't help but feel excited at Lucio's offer. If he were human, his heart would have started beating faster and faster as the seconds ticked on. He nodded his head to show his agreement to the deal, and Lucio motioned for him to come forward.

"Close your eyes," he whispered to Edward, "it helps."

* * *

Alice watched from her bedroom window as Edward crossed the grass to meet Lucio in the front yard. She already knew from her vision what was going to transpire between the two of them, so she turned her head to meet Jasper's glare. He had been staring at her that way since the meadow, & she realized from her vision that he had brought her up here to talk, but he kept changing his mind about what.

"Darlin," he whispered softly as he walked over to her, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can Jazz," she replied.

He took her hand in his, and she noticed the stress in the lines of his face. He had such a beautiful face. She'd pictured it so many times before the day they met, and even now, she realized, it "dazzled" her, as Bella used to say. But now, she wished he'd look away. She knew what he was about to ask him, and she wasn't quite sure how to answer.

"When we were in the meadow, I sensed something from you. At first I thought it was anger, but then I realized that was just from the excess of emotions I was feeling from Edward. No, what was coming from you, especially when Lucio asked me to work with Bella, or Izzy rather, was anxiousness, and fear." He paused here, waiting for her to confirm his statement, but her eyes refused to meet his. So he added, "You don't trust me to be alone with her, do you?"

He couldn't believe he was asking his own wife this question. He knew that some of the family held resentment towards his lack of control, especially after the birthday incident, but he never thought Alice would actually hold it against him in such a manner.

"Jazz," she began, "it's not as simple as you make it sound. _I love you_. But this whole mess that Izzy's in, I can't help but feel like it's our fault, especially since we're the ones that left her. I was supposed to be her best friend. But instead I let my husband try to eat her, and my brother rip her heart to pieces. I don't want to hurt her anymore Jazz, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't think that leaving the two of you alone, in such close conditions, is a good idea. I can't see her future anymore, now that she's a Strega, and it just makes me uncomfortable not knowing what could happen to her."

Jasper could hear the strain in her voice as she finished, and he could feel the wave of emotions rolling off of her. But he couldn't hide his own frustrations when he responded.

"Don't you think I feel guilty enough about what I've done to this family?" he rebutted, the pain shaking his voice. "You think I'm not ashamed of who I am and what I've done? I thought you, of all people, would be able to see past all that, and know that if I could take it all back, I would."

She couldn't help but feel angry as well, his emotions overflowing and mixing with hers.

"I am _on your side _Jasper," she hissed back, "and I alone have defended you to this family, to almost everybody we come across. I just don't think that Lucio knows what he's asking you to do. I think it's too much strain on you, and I think Izzy would be safer if we just didn't try it at all."

"Didn't you hear what he said?" Jasper realized he was now yelling, but he didn't care. "_Izzy is stronger than all of them_, I'm no more of a danger to her than she is to me. That's the whole reason Lucio wants her here, so I can help fix the part of her that I helped break."

He tried desperately to contain his emotions but it was no use. He was trying to convince her, just as much, as he was trying to convince himself. He turned away from her, and clenched his fists in his hands. He turned back to face her, just once, before leaving.

"Have some faith in me," he pleaded, as he disappeared out the door, leaving Alice to dwell on the words he left behind.

* * *

Taini swore she was crazy. One minute she was standing in the meadow, looking at Jake, and then she was in here, in her room, and felt the sudden urge to vomit. She tried calling him, but felt his phone vibrate across the room on her nightstand.

"Of course," she said out loud. Jake always forgot his phone here. She was constantly returning it to his house, not that she minded. It was always just another excuse to spend more time with him; she sometimes wondered if he did it on purpose.

She tried to replay in her mind everything that had happened that day, but it all happened so fast. The one thing she could remember, as clear as if he had just said it, was Jacob's story. Jacob didn't talk much about Bella, or her family, to her, and she knew it was because it was painful for him to talk about. She also knew that some of the pack blamed her for Bella's death, but she really didn't understand why. How was she supposed to know Jake was a werewolf and that he was supposed to be guarding Bella from vicious vampires? She had only been in town one day, and it was _Jacob_ who had imprinted on her, not the other way around.

There was the word again; imprint. She hated it really. She wanted Jacob to love her unconditionally, the way she did him, without any supernatural powers getting in the way. She sighed, realizing there was so much she wanted to tell him, and she had no idea when she would be able to get to see him. She decided to write it all down, just to make sure she didn't forget anything.

She sat in her room, writing, as the sun fell slowly down from its high point in the sky. It would be dark soon, and she was beginning to worry about Jacob's safety.

Just then, she heard the soft knock on her door, and she instinctively called out, "Come in."

The first thing she noticed about Jake was his eyes. They were filled with so much sorrow, and anguish; he looked like walking death. He shoulders were hunched over, as he stood there in the doorway, leaning up against the frame.

"Hey Tai," he whispered to her. Before he could even speak again, she was away from her desk, and wrapped around him, her arms squeezing tightly at his back.

"Jake," she breathed into his chest, her voice almost a whisper, "I was so worried."

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He took her smell, and her touch, and tried so very hard to allow her presence to bring him back to life. But so much had happened; so much had changed.

He was momentarily distracted as he looked over her head and noticed stacks of crumbled up papers all over her bed, floor, and desk.

"Babe," he said, removing his right hand from her waist and bringing it up to her chin, "what have you been doing in here?" She met his gaze, and then instantly pulled away. She tried desperately to pick up the scattered papers, but the instant Jake realized what she was trying to do, he began to help.

"No," she immediately cried, and snatched the paper from his hands.

He was taken aback by her harsh tone, and stood a bit dumbfounded for a moment.

"What's going on Taini?" he asked his eyes searching hers for answers.

"I just," she began. She was trying very hard to make the words come out right.

"I just didn't want to forget everything I wanted to say. But now...now I think I know exactly what I _need_ to say."

He was looking at her with so much sadness; she didn't think she could keep speaking. But she needed to get this out, before too much time had passed and the subject became unmentionable again.

"In the meadow," she continued, "before whatever his name was, sent me here, you talked about, Bella." She paused at her name, realizing just how much itmade him flinch. She sat on the edge of her bed, and rested her face in her palms. She knew she needed to get it together, for his sake.

She motioned for him to join her on the bed, and he slowly approached her side. He didn't like where this conversation was going already.

"You said you told Edward that he could never love Bella the way you did. That's an awfully powerful statement, Jake. And I just, I just wanted to know if...if you loved me, the same way you loved _her_?"

Her question stung at his heart; he didn't know how much more pain it could bear. She couldn't ask him this. This was something he couldn't truthfully answer without making it seem like he was lying. He did love Taini, very much, and he knew some of it had nothing to do with the fact that he imprinted on her. But it was nothing like the love he felt for Bella, nothing like it all. The two were completely different.

"You can't ask me to answer that question," was all he could choke out. "It's like asking me to compare apples to oranges, you just can't."

He paused here, realizing he owed her a much better explanation than that. He took her hand in his, and reached out with his other to bring her face up to meet his.

"I love you, Tai, more than you'll ever know. I'd do anything and go anywhere for you. But please understand that I can't answer your question the way you want me to. " He tried thinking of a way to explain, so she would understand what he was talking about.

"Look at it this way. Say a woman finally gets married to her high school sweetheart. Her husband lives with her for only 3 years, when he suddenly dies of a heart attack. The woman is so upset and distraught, but eventually, with some time, she falls in love again, and marries another man. This second husband picked up all the pieces of her broken heart, and taught her how to live again, how to love again. You can't just go up to her and ask her if she loves her second husband the way she loved her first; they are two separate things. Do you understand now? It'll never be the same type of love, but that doesn't mean the love I have for you isn't strong. I know you know that, deep down."

She looked at him, and she saw how badly he wanted her to understand. And she did, actually. His analogy was rather good. But she couldn't hold back the words at the tip of her tongue.

"You love me because a part of you _has to_, Jacob Black. You loved Bella, with all of your heart, because you _wanted_ to. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

She could feel the tears begin to stream down her face, and she stood from her place on the bed and walked towards the window. She heard him stand and soon felt his arms wrap around her from behind and his chin rested on her shoulders.

"Tai, please don't cry," he soothed into her ear. "I love you. Have faith in that, have faith in us."

She turned around to face him, and couldn't help but force her lips onto his, hoping his kiss would help her forget everything she had learned, everything he had said. But they both knew things were different now, it didn't matter how passionately they kissed, nothing could take back what had transpired.

The full moon was high in the sky now, as they tried to kiss away their fears, and hold onto their love. As a sadden vampire returned to his home, and stood in the doorway of his bedroom, holding out his arms, awaiting his wife's embrace. As an unlikely pair held a conversation with an angry girl thousands of miles away, hoping she would understand.

The full moon had risen, and it was time for things to start changing.

**A/N: Okay, I am SO excited that you all like this story so much; I'm having so much fun writing it =] This story is getting so many visitors, and I couldn't be happier. Please keep reading and reviewing, I love hearing your thoughts and opinions. I try to respond to every review, but I do apologize if I miss you. Oh, and for the record, **_Fede_** is Italian for **_Faith_.** I'll update again tomorrow. Until next time. -**_**SNO**_

**PS. According to my university, the Internet in my dorm room should be completely fixed now, so I won't have to worry about a bad connection anymore. **


	15. Reunion Part One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Reunion**

**Part One**

As he watched the sun being to rise, Edward tried to replay the conversation he had listened to between Lucio and Izzy over again in his head.

_"Izzy don't be angry...Calm down...No, I'm serious calm down...You're going to blow a hole in downtown LA...Of course I understand the possible repercussions...No, I think we can handle it just fine...Yes, she said they'll be arriving in three days...You know she never says more than she feels is necessary...Izzy I really need you to relax...Do I need to teleport there and calm you down myself...I get where you're coming from, but you have to understand that we did it for you...I know...I know...I promise Izzy, I promise....Okay...Alright...I'll see you soon...Be careful."_

He wished he could fill in the blanks of the seemingly one-sided conversation. He tried to remember her voice, and pictured it angry and harsh as she replied to Lucio's thoughts. God, what he would give to hear her voice again.

And that's when it hit him. "_I'll see you soon"_. Izzy was coming here, to Forks. He suddenly felt frantic and uneasy. Lucio had mentioned downtown LA; was that where she was living? Did she know somebody who lived there? Was Lucio going to teleport her here? Was she flying into the airport? Was she driving to Forks?

He couldn't keep the flood of questions from filling his brain and if he had been human, it would have given him a headache. The rest of his family was on edge as well.

Alice and Jasper, from what he picked up from their thoughts, had had a fight about Izzy, and we're slowly starting to reconcile once they became aware of her arrival. Emmet was rather excited, but he felt the need to contain himself, for Rose's sake, who was clearly not happy about any of this. Carlisle and Esme mostly kept to themselves, though Edward knew from their thoughts that they were anxious as well.

It was around 10am when they heard a knock on the door. Edward beat his family to the punch; he always was a bit faster than the others. He threw open the door, nearly tearing it off its hinges.

"Good morning, Edward, "Lucio said with a smile. Althea, however, brushed passed him and entered the house. She bounced around the living room, dancing and humming wherever she went.

Esme found the site of her dancing around their house amusing, and couldn't help but giggle.

Lucio couldn't contain his small chuckle either.

"She does that when she's excited," he explained, laughing slightly.

Carlisle approached Lucio as Althea continued to dance around the house, humming a tune the whole time.

"How did things go earlier?" he asked cautiously.

A slight frown crept its way across Lucio's face, as he replied, "Not well."

Lucio and Althea had left earlier in the morning to visit Sam Uley and his pack at La Push. They were hoping to have Sam's full cooperation, but he would not budge on the matter, and the pack was unanimous in their decision to keep the treaty in tact.

"I will have to force them to comply with us now," Lucio continued gravely, "I can't allow their stubbornness to endanger the lives of others. Honestly, they call themselves protectors, but they're really very selfish creatures."

"They're just doing what they think is right,' Carlisle responded evenly, "you can't really blame them for that."

Just then, the crack of nearby lightening boomed outside the living room windows, as the blinding flash lit up the sky. Althea instantly stopped dancing, and turned immediately to face the Cullens and Lucio. The smile on her face was wide and full of anticipation.

"What the hell _was_ that?" Rosalie demanded. She gripped Emmett's arm tightly as she stared past Althea, trying to see through the windows and into the forest. Edward was on edge, as he had instinctively moved into a crouched position in front of Esme and Carlisle; he was always subconsciously protective of them. Jasper had assumed the same position, but he had placed himself in front of Alice, even though she fought very hard to remove herself from his protective stance.

Althea chose to ignore Rosalie's demands, and turned her attention to Lucio instead.

"I told you she'd beat her here," she said with a smirk.

"I never doubted your vision," Lucio rebutted, "I simply said that she likes to change her mind, _and_ your visions quite frequently."

Althea simply huffed, and switched her focus to the Cullens, who were anxiously awaiting an answer.

"It _means_," she began, her voice filled with exasperation, "that all of you need to follow me outside, and into the back yard."

At first, they all just stared at her, completely bewildered. No one seemed willing to comply her demands as she made her way to the back door of the house.

"She means _now_," Lucio felt the need to add, and that seemed to be enough to shake them from protective stances, and though they did not relax completely, they followed Lucio as he joined Althea in the back yard.

Althea had her eyes closed, and her face tilted towards the sky. Lucio stood beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he whispered, "How close?"

"Very," Althea replied shortly.

"What's going on?" Alice inquired. She hated not being able to know what was going to happen before it did. She never realized how much she truly depended on her visions, nor did she consider how frustrating it must be for her family.

But the only response she received was a synonymous, "Just listen," from both Lucio and Althea.

Lucio had now joined Althea in facing the sky, his eyes also closed.

At first, Alice didn't hear anything. But then she _really _listened; she used her vampire hearing to pick up the faint sound of something, or someone, rushing past them. The sound was so faint; she never would have noticed it if she wasn't looking for it. Soon, Edward heard it too. He couldn't tell what it was; at least not by sound. But then he caught the scent in his nose, that soft, familiar scent. It was so soft, his family didn't even pick it up, but to him, it was so strong it nearly knocked him off his feet. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, Althea confirmed his thoughts.

"Hello Izzy," she spoke gently, with a smile. She opened her eyes and faced the woods to the left of them.

The Cullens followed her gaze, but Edward could tell from their overwhelming thoughts, that they couldn't see anything; neither could he. But he knew she was there, he could smell her scent, her beautiful, elegant scent.

"Izzy, don't be like this," Lucio now spoke, "they can't see you and you know it. Just come out and talk to us. We can pretend like they're not even here."

At first there was no response, and Jasper could feel the overwhelming emotions of someone, he could only guess it was coming from Izzy. He suddenly feared their encounter, realizing the rage that was emanating from her.

"You want me to _pretend_?" a harsh voice spoke from the forest. It was her voice. Edward knew it, but he'd never heard it in this matter. In was full of anger and harshness; the soft angelic tone almost completely abolished. And then...

A loud thud shook the ground as a figure emerged from the woods, flung itself from a nearby tree, and landed in a crouched position a few feet from them.

Slowly, the figure stood up to reveal a very different Isabella Swan. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a white racer back tank top that reached mid-thigh. A long silver chain hung from her neck, with a silver and black heart locket dangling just above her naval. Her hands were covered up by black gloves, though it was hard to tell just how long they were. She wore tight black leggings, which were slightly hidden beneath her tall leather boots. The boots reached the end of her thigh, and their heels were silver and sharpened at the ends.

But what was more stunning than her clothing was her overall appearance. The two years that had gone by had done wonders for her figure. The now 20 year-old Isabella was curvy in all the right places, and her once curly brown hair was now perfectly straight and fell a little below her shoulders. Her lips were fuller, and had a natural red shade to them. Her skin was flawless, and no longer pale, but a gorgeous bronze. Her most striking feature, however, was her eyes.

Her eyes were piercing and void of emotions. They were no longer deep warm pools of chocolate brown. Instead, they were cold, harsh, and icy blue. That's all Edward could focus on, the icy blue of her eyes; one of the few ways he used to read her was now gone and replaced with this harsh eyes that he felt belonged to someone else.

"My God," Esme whispered, not really realizing she was speaking out loud, "she's beautiful."

Izzy ignored her statement, and approached the group slowly, her eyes never leaving Lucio's.

"You want me to _pretend_ you didn't go behind my back to do this?" she shot at him, her voice never shaking, but still very harsh.

"Izzy," he spoke softly as he moved to meet her face-to-face, "we've already had this conversation. You know why we did what we did, and you know that Althea & I never wished to do this without your knowledge."

He moved his hand up to rest on her shoulder and met her gaze with equal intensity.

"Look at it this way, we've finally found Victoria, and soon, you can give her everything she's got coming to her. Whether you like it or not, we need to protect this town now. This is our mission. "

The ferocity of her gaze lessened, and Edward took notice of how she relaxed in Lucio's presence.

"You know how I feel about you," he continued, his voice calm and reassuring "and you know all I want is to bring you peace of mind."

She sighed, and Jasper could feel her rage slowly dissipate, but not by much.

Althea approached the pair, and her usually happy face was slightly distorted with a painful frown.

"Izzy please don't be mad," she pleaded, " I already know you're going to forgive me, but I'd prefer you'd do it sooner than you're planning on doing it. You have every right to be mad, but you know just as well as I that we work better together when we're in sync."

"You really have a way with words, don't you Thea?" Izzy replied with a hint of sarcasm. Lucio could have sworn he saw a slight smile, but it was gone in an instance.

She didn't speak for a minute or two, refusing to even glance at the Cullens. Alice longed to run over and hug her old friend, but she was very fearful. She could sense, even without Jasper's ability, just how angry Izzy really was.

"Since Victoria is already on her way here, I no longer have a choice in the matter. I guess I'll just have deal with the predicament you two have left me in. But I am _not_ letting you off the hook that easy," she decided.

Before she could speak another word, a small whisper escaped the lips of one of the Cullens.

"Bella..."

**A/N: So my Internet went down, yet again. But I found a way to get this chapter up anyway =] This is what you've all be waiting for; the return of Izzy! Don't worry, part two will be up very soon, and its full of drama, I assure you. I can't believe how many people have viewed this story; it makes me so happy. I hope you all continue to enjoy & review. See you all tomorrow. -**_**SNO**_


	16. Reunion Part Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Reunion**

**Part Two**

_"Bella,_"

As soon as Edward spoke that single word, he knew it was a mistake.

She snapped her head to the side to face him; it was the first time he'd really seen her face in over two years. But instead of taking in her radiant beauty, he found himself, once again, transfixed by her eyes. He couldn't stand the iciness of them; he swore they belonged to someone else. They were staring at him with such intensity, that they gave new meaning to the phrase _"if looks could kill."_

She held her stare for no more than a minute, and then redirected her attention back to Lucio.

"I assume you're leading her to La Push?" she continued, as if Edward had never interrupted her.

"Yes, we figured the less civilians the better," he replied evenly.

"The wolves aren't cooperating as nicely as we had hoped," Althea added on the side.

"Leave the wolves to me," Izzy shot back, clearly irritated by the news.

Jasper noticed how the intensity of her anger shot up the minute La Push and the Quileutes were mentioned. The sheer power of her rage was overwhelming, and it nearly made him loose control. But he focused on Alice, and he willed himself to stay calm, and prove her wrong.

"I was thinking," Althea, added with a smile, sensing Izzy's anger, "that we would let you have a little fun in convincing the towns people to stay indoors for a while."

This time Lucio knew he hadn't imagined it. He knew that the slanted smile that made its way across Izzy's lips was a real one, however tiny it may have been. He was always grateful for Althea's bubbly personality; it brought out the best in Izzy.

"You know me too well Thea," Izzy spoke softly, a clear sign to Alice that this new girl was important part of Izzy's new life.

"Izzy..." Alice spoke sheepishly, "do you think we could talk?" She was so nervous, she felt like the ground beneath was shaking. She didn't know what to say, or where to start, but she knew she couldn't just stand here and not say anything.

Izzy turned to face the Cullens for the first time since her return. She eyed them down, one-by-one, like a hunter would its prey. It made Esme rather uneasy to have Izzy stare at her family like that; she considered Bella to be her daughter, and it tore her apart that she was so angry with them.

"Fine," she finally replied through pursed lips, "let's _talk_. But where shall we start?

Before Alice could even open her mouth again, or anyone else for that matter, Izzy began to lash out.

"Oh I know, let's talk about that time when all of you _left me_. You let me into this life of yours, into this coven you call a family. You lie to me and tell me that you love me like a daughter, like a sister, like a _soul mate_," at this line she snapped her head towards Edward, but tore it away just as quickly.

"You then refuse to change me into one of you, for ridiculously selfish reasons, but find it perfectly acceptable to bring onto me the fury of a vicious vampire. And if that wasn't enough, after a week of him ignoring and avoiding me, you let Edward lie to me and leave me in the woods. You then let him convince you that it would be _better_ for me if _all_ of you left. God forbid any of you stick up for me, or try and change his mind; not my so-called best friend, not my so-called mother or father-in-law, not my so-called big brother. No, instead, you let him rip my little heart to pieces, leaving me all alone to fend off the fury of yet _another_ sadistic vampire and her devilish minions. Did I miss anything?"

Her tone was harsh, and her stance was aggressive. Alice stood with her mouth slightly agape, along with most of her family members.

"Izzy," Esme spoke softly, suddenly finding her voice, "it's not as simple as you make it sound. We were wrong to leave, but you have to understand, Edward was worried about your safety and..."

"Save me the sob story," Izzy cut in, "I know his so called reasons for leaving, but they're absolute garbage. I know he thinks he left because he loves me and because he was doing what he thought was best for me. But that's total bullshit, and he knows it. If he really loved me the way he said he did, he would have realized what leaving would do to me. No, instead he classified me with _every other human_, and sized it all up saying I would forget with time. He clearly didn't know me at all; if he did, he would have realized what a frigging mess he would be leaving behind."

She turned her attention towards Edward again, this time, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"It was pathetic really, the way I moped around for months after you left, feeling like the aching hole in my chest would never go away. My life was falling apart, and you took most of the pieces, leaving me with nothing but fragments of who I once was. If you really _loved_ me like you said you did, you would have stuck things out with me. Who cares about a stupid accident at my birthday party? I didn't. But I bet all of you gave Jasper a hell of time afterwards. I bet all of you silently blamed him for everything. Because that's just how you are. You put all the blame on others, rather than working through the issues."

"Izzy, please, don't be unreasonable," Carlisle finally interrupted, "we understand that we hurt you, and that you've been through a lot of pain, but we're here to make amends, not rehash the past."

Jasper noticed Izzy's rage fluctuate at the sound of Carlisle voice; it was as if she couldn't decide if she was more or less mad at him.

"You know, I used to look up to you," she replied, her voice still as harsh as earlier. "I used to think that knowing the _great_ Carlisle Cullen was an honor. But then I realized what a fool I was. I thought you were one of the bravest souls around, for doing what you do; for choosing the vegetarian lifestyle. But after everything that's happened to me, after everything I've seen, I realize that you're a _coward_. You and your family have all this self-control, and all these gifts, and yet you hide yourself from humanity. Do you know how many lives you could save a day if you used your gifts to help people rather than shut them out? Do you know how much good you could do?"

Carlisle took in her words, and tried his best not to take them to heart. Though she had a valid point, he couldn't understand why now, of all times, Izzy chose to bring it up. He understand her pain, and her anger, but he felt he was a bit misplaced, and he now understood why Lucio brought her here to confront her past. He was going to offer her words of comfort and understanding, and try to explain to her as best he could why things were the way they were, but Rosalie never gave him the chance.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Rosalie shot at Bella, a small growl forming behind her throat.

"You have no right to talk to Esme, or Carlisle, or _any_ of us like that. I understand that what you've been through is painful, and do I feel terrible for it, yes. But I do not feel that it is our fault in anyway, or that we owe you _anything_. We shouldn't have to protect humans; that's not our job. We have the right to try our best at a normal life, and Carlisle has given us that. So don't start pointing fingers at us for all the bad there is in the world; you need a serious reality check honey. Edward may love you, and perhaps Alice saw you as a sister, but you have brought this family NOTHING but grief since the day you came to Forks!"

Althea knew it was coming before Rosalie even finished her last sentence, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Lightning crashed down from the sky in a deafening crack, and sparks began to fly from Izzy's hands. Soon, there were three more loud cracks of lightning that lit up the sky, as electricity began to wrap its way around Izzy's clenched fists. The electricity spiraled around and around her wrists and arms, and stopped just at the tip of her shoulders. The lightning wasn't white as it would normally be, but neon blue, as were the spirals making their way around her arm. Lucio always marveled over the fact that the lightning was the same shade of blue as Izzy's eyes.

But now was no time to marvel over the sight of it; he had to calm her down, _fast._

"**How dare you?**" Izzy's voice bellowed through the forest and into the lightning filed sky. "**I caused **_**your family**_** grief?! You know NOTHING of grief Rosalie, NOTHING. Do not think I'm the same little girl you left behind all those years ago; you have no IDEA what I've been through. I don't need your fake pity or your lame attempt at understanding. I don't give a shit if I upset you or your family. You're the ones that came strolling on into my life; not the other way around. I'm not the one who thirsted for _Edward's blood_, he thirsted for mine. He could have let Tyler's van crush me, but he didn't. Any one of you could have changed me into a vampire, but you didn't. So if anything, you and your _family_ brought this grief upon yourselves. You have no right to be angry, Rosalie. NONE. ****You don't know me anymore, so DO NOT TEST ME!**"

At that last line, the electric blue current that spiraled around her arms grew thicker and brighter, and another blast of lightning shook the sky. Rosalie immediately drew back from her, shielding herself behind Emmett's arms, realizing that attempting to intimidate Izzy was a bad idea.

But just as suddenly as it began, the lightning began to die down. Slowly but surely, the electric blue currents that had wrapped themselves around Izzy arms began to unravel, and the sky began to clear up. She took in a long deep breath, as the last of the currents died down, and turned her head to meet Jasper's eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered to him softly.

Lucio gave Jasper a grateful nod, and Jasper returned one as well.

Jasper understood now why Lucio wanted him to work closely with Izzy. The power of her rage was almost uncontainable; it took every once of strength he had to calm her down. But that wasn't what bothered him the most. Jasper could feel what she was suppressing; however faint it was. Deep down inside of her were the suppressed emotions of sorrow, grief, and pain; pain so intense, he'd never felt anything like it before. But the angrier Izzy got, the more she suppressed those feelings. He realized at that moment that he had a lot of work ahead of him.

"Like I said earlier," Lucio interjected, seizing this moment to lower the tension, "our powers are directly linked with our emotions. Izzy's elemental gift is power over lightning, which makes her rage _very_ dangerous. I'd appreciate if you didn't do anything to purposely anger her."

He then turned to face his dear friend, hoping that she would understand why he needed her to be here.

"Izzy, this can help you," he spoke ever so gently to her, "I want you to be happy. Jasper can help you control your emotions, and being here with all them will finally give you the closure I know you need. Please, at least give it a try, for me?"

Edward watched as Izzy's shoulders relaxed, and her eyes softened. It became clear to him that Izzy and Lucio cared deeply about each other, but he wasn't sure in what way.

Althea walked over and stood next to Lucio, her bright face still carrying a small frown.

"We love you Iz," she whispered, her voice soft and endearing, "and all we want to do is help."

She stood there for a while, as everyone around her anticipated an answer. She turned once more to face them, only this time, there was something more than just anger in her eyes. No one, not even Jasper, could tell what she was feeling, as she eyed them once last time for turning to face back to Lucio and Althea.

"Fine," she whispered, her voice full of frustration, "I'll stay and try. But _only_ until Victoria is dealt with, understood?"

* * *

**A/N: Ah! I'm so sorry this update took so long to get up, and for how short it is. The network people at my university have no idea what they're doing, I swear. But now, it really should be fixed for good =] A couple things I want to address - I **_**will not**_** put Izzy's thoughts or opinions in the next few chapters. It's a strategic move on my part, & you'll understand why later on in the story. I promise I have my reasons. Secondly, I was looking ahead to what I have planned for the rest of this story, and I realized I have to raise the rating. There are some intense scenes coming up, and I don't want to frighten any younger readers. Also, I'm not sure if I'm exactly happy with this chapter, so I'll be tweaking it again throughout the week. Thank you so much for all of the kind reviews && keep it up! I love getting your feedback; it's really inspiring. =]**


	17. Strategy

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters

* 4/23/09 UPDATED! 306 words added for extra Edward/Bella time

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Strategy**

Edward eyed Izzy carefully as she entered the Cullen home. Two hours had passed since her arrival on their front lawn, but to Edward, it felt like days. He still couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. She was so different, so harsh. He knew she was hurting, and he knew it was his fault. But he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what to say to fix it. So instead he chose to watch her from a distance, monitoring her every move, her every breath. He became fascinated with how graceful she was now and she stood tall and proud. It was nothing like the old Bella who walked with her head down, monitoring her every step.

Jasper, on the other hand, watched in amazement from a closer proximity as Izzy paced back in forth in the kitchen. She stood across from Lucio and Althea at the unused kitchen table, and began discussing attack strategies with them. _Strategy_. That simple word brought back memories of his past, to his life before Maria and the world of vampires, to the Civil War. It was weird to picture the once clumsy Bella Swan being like he once was on the battle field; fierce, calculating, strong. And yet, there she was, planning surveillance points and suggesting patterns of attack. It awed him to no end.

"Here," Izzy pointed to a town in the northwest corner of Washington, "is where I'll lead the Wurdalaks after Victoria is dealt with."

"Why lead them to Neah Bay?" Jasper asked, not realizing he had gotten close enough to see where on the map she was pointing,

She shifted her glance upward from the map to meet his eyes. Her eyes weren't as angry when they met with Jasper's as they were when focused on the other Cullens. He didn't understand why, but she didn't seem as angry with him as she was with the others. It bewildered him to no end; he was the one that had tried to kill her, he was the reason his family left, he was the reason all of this was happening.

"_She has her reasons for being more understanding of you, Jasper" _he heard Lucio whisper in his head.

Before Jasper could even respond, Izzy began explaining her strategy, apparently unaware of the silent conversation going on between them.

"Neah Bay has a population of only 900 Native Americans, the Makah Indians, to be exact. Its 44.4 miles from Forks, meaning it would take an average human 14 hours and 48 minutes to walk there. Granted, the Wurdalaks nor I travel at average human speed, but it gives us enough time to get rid of Victoria and lead the Wurdalaks away before the citizens of Forks become too suspicious," she explained proudly.

"And since today is Saturday, we know that Victoria will be arriving at exactly 5 o'clock Monday night," Althea added with a smile.

She didn't know much about him, because Izzy didn't know much about him either, but Althea liked this Jasper fellow. Then again, she liked all the Cullens, even Edward at times. She knew how much he cared for Izzy, but she couldn't stand what an idiot he was with how he handled his feelings. Jasper, on the other hand, seemed much more calm, cool, and collected. "_Its because he's an Empath"_, she smiled as she thought to herself.

"We're going to need to collect some _things_ from my apartment," Izzy added, solely for Lucio.

"Your apartment?" Alice asked, as she turned the corner. She would take any opportunity she could get to talk to Izzy about something, anything. She had been listening to the conversation from up the stairs, but she figured if Jasper could get her to talk to him, she would try her luck as well.

Lucio watched as Izzy contemplated over answering Alice's question. The great part about being able to read Izzy's mind, was that he was able to understand the thoughts and emotions she never expressed. He knew she was thinking about snapping a snide remark at Alice, but held her tongue instead. He also knew this was solely to please him, not because she wanted to appease Alice's curiosity.

"_One step at a time, Izzy,"_ he soothed in her head, "_you don't have to forgive her, just try and make small talk. It'll help, I promise._"

Izzy pursed her lips slightly as her eyes met her old best friend's.

"Yes," she stated simply, "I have my own place in L.A. where I keep most of my things. Each of us has our own place, but depending on where our next mission is, the three of us will either stay with me in LA, with Lucio in NYC, or with Althea in Chicago."

"Where in LA do you live, exactly?" Alice couldn't keep her curiosity contained. She had missed her friend so much, and wanted to learn as much as possible about the new and improved Izzy.

"I live in Venice, which is in West Los Angeles, in the Palazzo Westwood Village," Izzy replied, her voice still harsh, but not quite as dismissive as earlier.

"Do you think, I could come with you, to see it?"

Alice wasn't sure if she should push her luck with Izzy this far, but she had to try. She needed to know just how far she was allowed in, and where the lines were that she shouldn't cross.

Izzy paused here, and from Jasper could tell, she was feeling very indecisive about what to say to Alice. Her emotions were fluctuating again, and he couldn't really get a good read on them.

"Perhaps," she began, "but not this time. This is something I need to do alone, so it can be done quickly. Maybe, after all this is over, I'll let you see it."

Lucio could see through Izzy's eyes the wide smile that made its way across Alice's face. This small bit of hope that Izzy had given her was enough to satisfy her as she turned away from Izzy, and motioned Jasper to follow her up the stairs. He complied, though slightly reluctant at first. Lucio hoped with all his might that he could make this work; that he could begin to piece back together the pieces of Izzy that had fallen apart.

Suddenly, glimpses of Althea's current vision passed through his mind, bringing with it a horrible revelation.

"Iz," she whispered softly, "She's stopping. She's found more Lycans in Fort Hall, Idaho."

"Damn it," Izzy hissed, her voice low and aggressive, "that means she'll be at least another 3 days. How many Thea?"

"Twelve," Althea responded, her eyes focused in the distance as she scanned the future, "she won't have time to change any more than that."

"That puts her total at 157," Izzy growled, her fist slamming down onto the kitchen table, cracking the marble straight through the middle.

Jasper could feel the anger begin to boil within her, and he immediately sent her waves of calm. He noticed as he did this, that her breathing slowed, and she closed her eyes as her fingers left grip marks in the marble table. She took in one last deep breath, let out a sigh, opened her eyes, and turned to her comrades.

"Lucio, stay here, guard the town. I'll be back by tomorrow morning. Thea, go to Fort Hall, see if you can stop her from getting to some of the Lycans, but do NOT engage. Prevention and recon only, understood? I don't want anyone doing anything risky until I've returned."

Lucio and Althea nodded in compliance. It became clear to Edward that Izzy was the leader of this threesome, and that her word was not to be questioned. He had been startled by Izzy's outburst, and entered the kitchen on impulse. She turned at exactly that moment, nearly walking right into him, as they met face to face. Their eyes immediately locked and she held his stare; for the first time in two years, they were _really_ looking at each other.

He noticed that her forehead still creased whenever she was frazzled and that her eyes weren't nearly as harsh as he had originally thought. They were icy, there was no denying that, but it was like they were frozen. There was something much deeper behind them. He could catch glimpses of it, something wild and frantic stirring behind her irises. But it disappeared the minute he noticed it. He was then forced to notice how beautiful she really was in her new state. Though he missed the paleness of her skin, this new bronze color made it glow like the sun, furthering amplifying the blueness of her eyes, and her new hair, though no longer wavy, was longer and thicker, and accentuated her heart-shaped face.

Her body was stunning. She no longer looked like a fragile little teenager. She was still skinny, yes, but she was more muscular and curvy. He could see the muscles in her arms in legs tighten with stress, and he began to realize just how "in-shape" she was. Though he had tried to be a gentlemen, he couldn't help but notice that the size of her breasts had increased greatly, and her butt was now large and firm. She truly was a woman.

Lucio coughed, noticing where Edward's thoughts were going, and that was enough to break the silent moment that had transpired between them. Edward immediately took a step away from her before attempting to speak.

"Izzy," was all he managed to whisper before he was interrupted, yet again.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked as he and Esme joined Edward in the living room outside the kitchen. The sound of Izzy's fist hitting the marble table had driven them down the stairs.

"Complications," Izzy spat as she pushed passed Edward and stormed out of the kitchen, through the living room, and out the front door.

Lucio and Althea did the same, and were followed by Edward, Carlisle, and Esme.

"Will you please tell us what's going on?" Esme pleaded.

"I'll explain everything in a moment," was all Lucio could reply. But before he could continue, Edward called out to Izzy.

"Will you come back?" he questioned, his eyes were filled with anguish; he couldn't stand to lose her again, not after he had already learned so much.

She faced him, if only for a moment, and nodded slightly.

"I never go back on my word," was all she offered him.

He nodded in acknowledgement, as she turned away from him. He had to hold back a slight smile, despite the situation. Those were the first words she had said to him since she arrived that weren't completed soured with rage.

Izzy approached Althea and placed both of her hands on Althea shoulders firmly, as if she was trying to make her focus.

"Please," she requested, her voice soft for the first time since she arrived, "be careful Thea. Come back as soon as you can. Okay?"

"I promise Iz," Althea whispered as she moved Izzy's hands off her shoulders and placed them at her sides.

Althea then turned to face Lucio, who was waiting patiently with his arms held open. She wrapped herself around him, and smiled widely as his strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Come back to me," he whispered, almost too low for the Cullens to hear. His head tilted downward until his nose met with hers.

"I love you," they whispered together in unison, just before he placed a warm, gentle kiss on her lips. Only seconds after their lips met, a gust of wind blew by, and Althea disappeared.

Lucio then turned to face Izzy, who was waiting with her hand outstretched.

Lucio place his hands on top of hers, as he shut his eyes.

"_Per un mondo di giustizia e di speranze_," he spoke, just before Izzy closed her eyes, a small smile finding its way across her lips.

And with another gust of wind, she was gone.

* * *

**A/N: 70 reviews! That's exciting news! =] Sorry this update took so long, and the fact that its so short. I have finals coming up, and things have been a little hectic, but I promise I will keep up with my regular updates. I've tweaked the previous chapter a bit more to my liking, but I still feel like there is something missing. Also, I've added pictures to my profile for this story if you'd like to check them out - new links will be coming as the story progresses. Thanks so much for reading & reviewing; keep it up =] Until next time. **_**SNO.**_

_**PS. Lucio's quote at the end means," For a world of justice and hope".**_


	18. Life

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Life**

_And with another gust of wind, she was gone._

As soon as Izzy was gone, Lucio turned to face the Cullens, whose faces were filled with confusion and frustration.

"Sorry for the rush," he offered politely, "but Victoria has a very particular way of doing things, and now that we know she's stopping to create more Wurdalaks, things have become a bit more complicated."

"What do you mean by 'complicated'," Carlisle asked, as Esme gripped his hand tightly. He knew how much this was tearing her apart on the inside. She loved Bella as a daughter, as did he, and they would do anything they could to help her. But it seemed that the more they learned about this life she was living, the more complicated things became.

"Like I mentioned earlier, we're not exactly sure how Victoria changes the werewolves into Wurdalaks, but we do know that the process involves a lot of dark magic, and that it leaves her in a temporarily weakened state. This means she'll send scouts to scope out Forks a day earlier than her anticipated arrival, while she stays behind to regain her strength," he added for further explanation.

"By scouts you mean..." Edward added, realization suddenly dawning on him.

"Yes," Lucio confirmed, "she'll be sending ten to twenty Wurdalaks to Forks within the next 32 hours. Possibly sooner depending on when she dispatches them. Do not fret; we will not let anything happen to your loved ones. Izzy will be back by dawn, meaning we'll have to set up the perimeter without her. Normally I would advise you to stay indoors, and let me handle things, but time is of the essence, & I could benefit from your vampire speed."

"I will explain everything to you in greater details in due time, but right now I must excuse myself so I can speak with Jasper about his role in all of this. In the meantime, prepare yourselves for a long night .We no longer have the option of waiting for the Quileutes to voluntarily agree to work with us. They will be forced to comply. We leave at sunset for La Push."

And at that, he strode past Edward, Esme, and Carlisle, and walked back across the front lawn and through the front door.

Esme, still clutching Carlisle's hand, whispered, "What kind of world are we living in?"

Carlisle simply pulled her tightly into his grasp and whispered, "I don't know. Not anymore."

* * *

"Can you still see them?" Jasper questioned Alice as he paced the room. The nervousness that enveloped his family was beginning to affect him. He felt anxious and uneasy, as if he was suffocating. He tried his hardest to get a grip on their emotions and ease them, but it was to no avail.

Alice was starring intently out the window, eavesdropping on every word that was exchanged between Lucio and the members of her family.

"Izzy and Althea are gone," she responded her eyes never leaving the window, "and Lucio has stepped back inside. He wants to speak with you."

She turned to meet her husband's glare. The words they had passed between them only a day earlier still stung at Alice's dead heart.

"Jazz," she whispered as she floated across the room to his side. He was still pacing rather quickly, so when she reached for him, her arm entangled with his, pulling her with him in stride. She caught her balance and planted her feet in front of him, and there was a loud thud as their bodies collided.

Jasper looked down to stare into the eyes of his wife, and he could feel the love pouring out of her. It was enough to ground him, and bring him back to his senses.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, searching his topaz eyes with her own. Her hand slid up his chest, then to his neck, and finally rested on his cheek.

"I never should have doubted you, Jazz. I know you're strong enough to control your hunger, and I never meant to demean you. I have never questioned my faith in you, I swear. It's just that you of all people should know that I depend too highly on my visions, and without them, I feel lost. I hate not knowing what's going to happen next, and I hate not being able to protect the people I love. This whole thing with Bella, I mean, Izzy, it's just got me so wound up, that I haven't been thinking straight."

"But the one thing I do know is that I love you, and I know you can feel it Jazz. I believe that you can do anything you set your mind too. And if anybody can help Izzy deal with her suffering, I know it's you. And besides, Althea can see the future anyway, and if anything were going to happen I'm sure..."

But Alice didn't get to finish her sentence, because Japer's lips had already crashed into hers. Her hand automatically slid up from his face, to the back of his neck, while the other tangled its way through his beautiful blonde locks.

Jasper pulled her closer to him, his strong arms gripping possessively around her waist. He loved how she always smelled of wild flowers, and how her lips always tasted like sweet berries. He bit down on her lower lip, ever so gently, and sucked it between his own. He let the love he felt for her overflow with the feelings he felt pouring from her, and soon they were both swooning from the effects of it all. He pulled her closer to him, as her hands left his neck, and began exploring the chiseled features he had hidden beneath his t-shirt.

"Before things get any more heated between the two of you, do you think I could borrow Jasper?"

Alice and Jasper immediately broke apart, each gasping slightly for air at the intensity of their kiss.

Lucio smiled to himself, as he stood in their bedroom doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Long enough to know that the two of you care about each other deeply. And I'll be glad to let you two do as you please with one another, as soon as I have a rather important discussion with Jasper."

Jasper nodded his head in acknowledgment, and lifted his hand to Alice's face. He placed a small, light kiss on her forehead. He let his lips linger there for a few precious seconds, until reluctantly pulling away.

"Okay," he began hesitantly, "I'm ready to talk."

* * *

The whirlwind that was teleportation was no more appealing to Jasper the second time around. The wind stung at his face, and he couldn't bear to keep his eyes open. He stumbled upon their landing, gripping Lucio's arm tightly.

"I'd really appreciate it if we didn't do that anymore," he gasped, trying to regain his center of gravity.

"Sorry," Lucio offered, "but I needed you to see this."

"See what?" Jasper questioned. But as he stepped forward, he realized that it was a mistake. As his foot fell through the air, his body instinctively tried to lean backwards to keep from plummeting into whatever pit lied before him. Luckily, Lucio's strong arm shot out in front of Jasper, keeping him from falling any further, and balancing him once more.

"Easy there tiger," Lucio chuckled, "wait until you're able to focus, and take a look at where we are."

At first, Jasper couldn't make out anything through the fog, but soon, the sun peered out from behind a cloud and illuminated one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen.

They were standing atop of jagged cliff, over looking a sea of green. The trees were tall and full, vines traveling down their trunks onto the forest floor. Some were littered with birds of vibrant colors, their songs echoing through the air. Others were filled with flowers that Jasper had only seen in books, their scent filling his nose, reminding him almost instantly of Alice. The sky was crystal blue, its brilliancy blending in with the green of the forest, making the line of the horizon blur beyond recognition. The few clouds that were in the sky blew past the sun again, drawing Jasper's attention away from the sky, and to the rushing sound he heard below.

The river was wide and strong, and the sheerest shade of blue Jasper had ever seen. It banks were ragged from the rush of the water cutting into the earth, carving it's own path. In fact, it was like the river moved with the forest, rather than through it. It curved and flowed with the earth, its rhythm and sound seeming just right in this environment.

Jasper was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. It was so pure, so unaltered.

"Welcome," Lucio smiled, as he placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder, "to the Amazon rainforest."

"It's beautiful," Jasper whispered, almost unaware that he was capable of speaking at that moment.

"It's one of Izzy's favorite places to come and think," Lucio offered. He smiled at this, remembering the first time she ever showed it to him.

_"Izzy, this place is beautiful. But why come all the way out here to think?"_

_"Because it wasn't made."_

_"I'm.... not following."_

_"Don't you see, Lucio? This forest, this river, it wasn't made. It was __**born**__. It has its own spirit; it breathes just like you and I. Man may be able to tear it down, but they can never say they made it. It grew from the Earth, all by itself. The trees grow as tall as they wish; the birds sing the song of their choosing. The river flows at its own pace, no one dictates which way it should flow, nor how fast. Fate, man, monsters, destiny, none of it matters here. All there is, is __**life**__. Pure, unaltered life."_

"Why me?" Jasper asked, forcing Lucio to return from his flashback.

"What do you mean," Lucio replied.

Jasper took in a deep breath. "I mean, why isn't Edward the one you brought here? Or Alice? They were the closest to Isabella. I mean, I tried to kill for Christ's sake. Even before the whole birthday fiasco, we didn't have much of a relationship. I don't understand how I'm supposed to go about fixing Izzy, when I didn't know much about her from the start."

"She's nothing like the girl you once knew Jasper," was all Lucio could offer. "And working with Edward or Alice would be too great of a risk. They've caused her both so much pain, the only emotion they would bring out of her at this point, is anger. There's too much hurt involved with them; you are a neutral party who also happens to be an Empath. I can assure you that she does not blame you for the birthday incident, as you call it. I just need you to help Izzy _feel_ again. She's been shut off for so long, I'm almost afraid it's too late to save her. This is going to be challenging for you, but it's going to be just as hard for her, if not more. I know I'm asking a lot of you Jasper, but please understand why you must be the one to do this. You can unlock what she's keeping inside for so long, you can help her really feel again. Please Jasper, I don't want to lose her in the end.'"

Lucio sunk his head down, and soon found himself sitting on the edge of the cliff, dangling his feet over the edge. He was soon joined by Jasper, who for a while said absolutely nothing.

"I'm in," he spoke softly, "but I hope you know what you're asking me to do won't be easy. If she's as shut off as you say she is, she's not going to willingly let me release her emotions. You're playing with fire here; her destiny may already be set in stone, despite what I do."

All Lucio could do was smile, and whisper the words, "Thank you", as he thoughts once again drifted to the day Izzy brought him here.

_"Do you believe in destiny, Lucio?"_

_"Of course. Everybody has a purpose in this life. Some may stray from the course, but in the end, they always end up where they truly belong. Why do you ask?"_

_"Because I think it's a load of bullshit."_

_"I beg your pardon?"_

_"You heard me Luc, it's bull. There's no such thing as destiny. You may think I was destined to become one of you, but others may argue I was destined to die the day Edward Cullen saved my life. When in all actuality, it's all a lie. I'm like this river; my actions have always been my own. Destiny didn't shape my life; I did. You may think differently, but I don't. This place makes me realize that life is about spontaneous moments; not a plan or set out course. You can't _plan_ life, Lucio, you _live _it. I make my own destiny from now on; fate no longer gets to decide how my story ends."_

It wasn't until this very moment, sitting next to Jasper, breathing in the rainforest air, that Lucio realized just how right she was.

**A/N: I'm back! =] **

**I'm so sorry for the long hiatus; life just got a little crazy for a while. BUT - the regular updates are returning, and the story continues! Thank you so much for all the reviews & support. You guys are all so amazing. I'll try and get to all of your reviews within the next week. I can't believe the story is almost at 100! Thanks so much again. Until next time . **_**SNO**_

**PS. There will be some **_**serious**_** editing done to this chapter within the next two days, but I felt I owed it to you all to update before the month was over. So ignore the crappy parts - they'll be fixed shortly. =] **


	19. A Much Needed Author's Note

Hello everyone! Long time no write! I apologize profusely for the extended hiatus this story seems to have taken. Ironically, I began this story my freshman year of college. I am now in my senior year, and I'm finally being drawn back into the world of fanfiction.

I cannot, with good conscience, tell you when and if this story will be finished. You see, I've come across a dilemma. There is so much about this story that I love and there was a lot of thought and work put into outlining the whole thing. However, looking back on it now, I realize how much I have changed as a writer, and how I much I would need to change to continue "**Vendetta**" the way it is. The Bella I've created here is close to the Bella I see in my head now, but there would be no way to create what I envision without changing key chapters in the story.

That being said, I am not abandoning the story. I am however, writing new stories as we speak. The first will be called "**Tattooed**", and it will be a Bella story, similar to this one, but with a Bella that's much more fitting to the way I see her now. I'm also working on two anime/manga stories for the Inuyasha series, both of which I'm very excited about because it's uncharted territory for me. Those will come after "**Tattooed**", though I'm not sure which of the two I'll be writing first.

All in all, I love "**Vendetta**". It's my baby - the first fanfiction I ever created. I cannot just simply abandon her. But she deserves to be written right, and for that to happen I need to get these other ideas out of my head so I can finish "**Vendetta**" the way it was meant to be.

So be on the look out for "**Tattooed**"!

Much love to all of you.

_-SNO_


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